HORSE 


PORTRAITURE: 


EMBRACING 


BREEDING,  BEARING,  AND  TRAINING  TROTTERS,  WITH  THEIR  MANAGE- 
MENT IN  THE  STABLE  AND  ON  THE  TRACK,  AND  PREPARA- 
TION FOR  RACES;  INCLUDING  HISTORIES  OP 
THE  HORSE  AND  HORSEMEN. 


WITH    AN    APPENDIX 

CONTAINING  THE 

DESCRIPTION  OP  DEXTER  AND  A  PORTRAIT  BY  SCOTT. 


BY 

JOSEPH  CAIRN  SIMPSON. 


NEW  YORK: 
GEO.    E.    WOODWARD,     PUBLISHER. 


N     p          I 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

W.  A.  TOWNSEND  &  ADAMS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


Stereotyped  by  SMITH  &  McDoirGAL,  82  &  84  Beekman  St. 


To 

&on.  JjlMjPS  G32ANT,   1)avenport,  Iowa; 

and 

M.  S.  2>AT2tIC£:,  tfsg.,  Chicago,  Illinois: 

X 

This  work  is  dedicated,   in   token  of  the  esteem  in 

which  they  are  held  by  the  author,  who  enjojs 

their  friendship,  and  has  been  benefited 

by  their  adrice  and  counsel. 


INTKODTICTIOK". 


I  PRESENT  this,  the  pioneer  work  of  its  class,  to  the 
public,  with  both  trepidation  and  confidence.  Aware 
of  the  many  faults  in  construction,  style,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  ideas  are  conveyed,  I  claim  the 
leniency  of  my  readers,  and  can  only  advance  the 
plea,  that  as  no  writer,  more  scientific,  polished,  and 
practiced,  had  attempted  the  task,  the  errors  of  a 
novice  in  literature  would  be  overlooked  and  excused, 
that  would  meet  with  severe  criticism  in  a  Veteran 
Author.  This  book  has  been  written  in  the  hours 
intervening  between  the  morning's  drive  and  the 
evening's  walk ;  and  when  the  rigors  of  winter  put  an 
end  to  active  training,  the  labor  of  composition,  and 
care  of  the  horses,  about  equally  divided  the  time. 

The  practice  recommended  to  be  followed  in  these 
pages,  in  order  that  a  horse  may  acquire  condition 


2  INTEODUCTIOH . 

and  learn  to  trot  fast,  I  offer  with  confidence.  The 
treatment  advised  is  no  pet  theory,  but  the  result  of 
years  of  practice,  when  the  effects  of  any  change  in 
the  work  was  anxiously  watched  for  and  carefully 
noticed.  The  system,  as  here  exemplified,  I  have 
found  the  best  that  has  come  under  my  observation, 
and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  rest  my  name  as  a  horse- 
man on  the  award  of  those  who  will  give  it  a  faith- 
ful trial. 

The  chapters  on  sweating,  food,  and  drink  are  not 
offered  as  being  scientifically  correct  in  a  veterinary 
view.  The  want  of  a  medical  education  would  have 
prevented  me  from  writing  such  a*,  treatise,  if  I  had 
been  ambitious  to  do  so ;  but  the  results  deduced  I 
know  to  be  correct  from  the  practical  tests  of  every 
season's  experience  in  training  horses. 

Should  this  effort  meet  with  the  favor  and  support 
of  the  public,  I  will  be  encouraged  to  follow  the  plan  I 
have  sketched,  and  continue  the  history  of  the  trial 
stable  in  the  journey  from  New  York  westwa,rdly, 
through  the  main  places  to  the  Mississippi,  and  down 
that  stream  to  New  Orleans,  describing  the  manage- 
ment when  on  the  steamboat  or  railway  car,  with  the 
care  necessary  to  keep  the  horses  in  condition  while 
traveling  and  frequently  trotting  in  races,  accompanied 


I^TBODUCTION".  3 

with  descriptions  of  scenery,  courses,  &c.,  and  inci- 
dents illustrating  turf  sports. 

The  reasons  why  I  have  broached  subjects  other  than 
breeding  and  training  are  the  same  that  would  induce 
a  person  not  to  work  a  favorite  colt  entirely  on  the 
track.  Allowing  him  at  intervals  to  jog  through  shady 
lanes,  where  the  hawthorn  would  shower  its  white 
blossoms  on  his  glossy  coat,  and  by  the  sea-shore  or 
the  river-bank,  where  the  ripple  of  the  wavelets  would 
moisten  the  hoofs  parched  on  the  dry,  hard  gravel, 
he  would  return  with  new  life,  and  knock  off  a  few 
seconds  from  the  time  it  had  formerly  taken  him  to 
accomplish  a  mile.  And  so  the  writer  felt  refreshed 
after  wandering,  and  returned  to  the  dry  details  of 
training,  in  better  spirits  and  with  a  keener  zest,  to  im- 
part what  knowledge  he  possessed  to  those  who  join 
with  him  in  enthusiastic  admiration  for  "  a  fine  horse 

and  a  fast  trotter." 
i 

JOS.  CAIEN  SIMPSON. 


SUMMARY    OF    CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGB 

INTBODTTCTOKY.— Arrival  of  the  "  trial  stable  " 13 

CHAPTER    II. 

Description  of  Never  Mind. — Merits  and  defects  in  his  form. — Cutting  his  quar- 
ters.— Naming  horses. — History  and  description  of  Jane. — Proper  manner  of 
driving.— Guarding  against  striking  the  knee.— Contrivance  to  prevent  a  horse 
from  striking,  &c 19 

CHAPTER    IH. 

Poor  feeders,  probably  caused  by  want  of  food  when  young,  the  stomach  never 
recovering  from  the  injury. — Camp  life. — Smoking. — Old  method  of  travel- 
ing with  race  horses. — Preceptor  examines  the  Falcon. — His  description  of 
him. — Finds  him  nearly  his  ideal  of  a  model  roadster. — Pupil  recounts  his 
history  up  to  that  time.— Bad  driving.— Debt  to  the  Falcon  acknowledged.— 
A  home  on  the  Mississippi 21 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Patience  required  to  teach  a  horse  to  trot. — Different  breeds  of  trotters. — The 
pleasure  there  is  in  rearing  fine  colts. — History  and  description  of  Clipper. — 
Admixture  of  French  blood  promotes  higher  action. — Dangers  of  a  bolter. — 
Best  plan  to  drive  one. — Contrivance  that  might  be  of  benefit  to  stop  a  horse 
from  "flying  the  track." — Manner  of  handling  a  horse  in  a  break. — The  ap- 
pearance of  the  horses  shows  that  they  have  been  well  wintered,  being  in  pro- 
per order  to  commence  work. — Preceptor's  remarks  on  wintering  trotters. — 
Proper  way  to  feed,  and  what  the  food  should  consist  of.  -Location  of  stable. — 
Picture  of  a  fine  natural  situation  for  a  breeding  farm. — The  kind  of  stock  to 
breed  from. — Examples  of  pedigrees. — Treatment  of  the  colts,  weaning,  win- 
ter quarters,  food,  &c 40 

CHAPTER    V. 

Breeding  farm  continued. — Description  of  the  house,  and  grounds  surrounding 
it. — Ornamental  planting. — Out  buildings.— Yards.— Further  treatment  of  the 
colts  the  first  winter. — Brood  mares,  their  quarters,  food,  and  treatment  dur- 
ing pregnancy. — The  stallion  used  on  the  breeding  farm. — A  western  prairie. — 
Advantages  possessed  by  Iowa  for  breeding  tine  horses 65 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

PAGH 

History  of  the  colts  in  the  trial  stable. — May-daj'. — Hirondelle. — Disadvantages 
of  a  half-mile  track  for  training.— Width  of  track.-^Importance  of  a  horse 
learning  to  recover  from  a  break  without  swerving. — Best  soil  for  a  track. — 
Mavourneen. — Oriole. — "Four  white  feet  and  a  white  nose." — Lexington  and 
Sallie  Waters. — Lexington  at  the  St.  Louis  Fair. — Clamor  about  horses  break- 
ing.— Advantages  gained  in  teaching  a  horse  to  go  without  breaking. — King. — 
Pedigree  and  description. — Wildness  when  a  colt. — Failure  of  knee  straps ....  70 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Remarks  about  May  weather.— The  beauty  of  the  American  climate  contrasted 
with  that  of  England. — The  walk  to  the  blacksmith's  shop. — A  trainer's  prac- 
tice of  giving  his  horses  hard  work. — Walking. — The  reasons  why  horses  are 
walked  in  training. — The  benefits  and  damages  from  carrying  it  too  far. — 
Amount  of  clothing  required  when  walking. — Remarks  of  the  Preceptor  on 
shoeing. — The  plan  he  formerly  followed. — The  system  adopted,  and  the  reasons 
for  the  change. — The  swedged  shoe,  and  a  "low  hold"  for  the  nails. — Proper 
form  for  the  hind  shoe  to  guard  against  cutting  the  quarters. — Preparing  the 
foot  to  receive  the  shoe. — The  wall  of  the  foot  only,  allowed  to  be  cut. — Black- 
smiths not  to  be  permitted  to  do  a  "  finished  job  "  by  rasping  the  outside  of 
the  foot.  —  The  weight  of  Never  Mind's  shoe,  and  the  precautions  taken 
against  "grabbing." — Snatching  a  horse  when  in  a  break  the  frequent  cause 
of  cutting  the  quarters  and  striking  the  knee. — The  evils  of  a  short  mar- 
tingale.— The  reasons  for  wearing  a  light  hind  shoe. — Difference  between  shoes 
and  plates,  and  the  effects  of  weight  in  the  shoe  on  the  action  of  the  horse. — 
Making  the  sides  of  the  shoe  of  unequal  weight. — The  reasons  for  so  doing. — 
Treatment  recommended  for  injury  to  the  knee  from  having  been  struck. — 
Loss  of  a  fine  colt  from  the  shoeing  inducing  the  lock-jaw 89 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Hot  ley  to  a  punctured  foot  a  preventive  of  lock-jaw. — Importance  of  stable 
management  to  forward  condition. — Division  and  arrangement  of  the  horses. — 
Grooming.  —  Can  be  carried  too  far. — Value  of  a  good  groom. — Sweating 
facilitates  the  removal  of  the  dandruff. — Arrangement  of  the  stalls. — Fur- 
niture and  necessary  articles,  and  how  to  take  care  of  them. — Rules  to  be  ob- 
served by  the  stablemen. — Qualification  and  encouragement  of  the  boys.— 

Instance   of   cruelty  in  a  groom. — Hair  mittens — How  to  rub  a  horse 

Material  for  rubbers. — The  wisp. — Skewers,  and  their  uses. — Bandages. — 
Thoroughbreds  for  trotters. — The  use  of  bandages. — Wet  and  dry  bandages. — 
When  the  legs  are  swollen,  how  they  should  be  applied. — Reasons  for  employing 

wet  bandages  — How  to  apply  a  bandage Uses  of,  when  a  horse  is  at  exercr'so. 

— Benefits  of  pressure  to  reduce  swelling. — Clothing. — The  quantity  to  be 
used. — The  kind  needed  for  sweating. — Care  of  the  clothing — Decoration.— 
Order  and  sobriety  essential  in  all  those  who  are  employed  in  the  stable. — 
Necessity  for  condition  in  race  horses  impei-ative. — The  effects  of  sweating 
must  be  studied.  —  "  Washy"  and  "  baked  "  horses. — The  setting  muzzle 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

CHAPTER    IX. 

PAGH 

Indigestion. — Eclipse  and  Henry. — The  epicure. — Speckled  troui. — The  mode 

of  cooking  them  in  the  woods. — A  straight  bit  in  a  horse's  mouth  compels 
him  to  masticale  his  food  better. — Kepler's  story. — Breeding  farm  resumed. 
—Field  for  the  yearlings. — Short  herbage  the  best. — Feeding  during  the  sum- 
mer.—Salting.— Haltering.— Examination  of  the  feet.— The  horn  to  be  kepf. 
in  a  proper  shape. — Corn  as  food  for  colts. — A  variety  of  grain  recommended. 
— High  feeding,  prejudices  against  it. — Instances  of  longevity  in  thorough- 
breds that  have  been  well  nurtured. — American  Eclipse. — His  great  age. — 
Training  two-year-olds. — Capacity  of  the  well-bred  one  to  stand  work. — The 
fastest  Cesarawitch. — the  winner. — Mr.  Sykes,  a  half-bred. — Letter  from  an 
American  breeder  in  England. — His  astonishment  at  the  size  of  the  colts. — 
Age  of  imported  horses. — Instance  of  great  speed  in  a  trotter  for  a  quarter  of 
a  mile. — His  inability  to  "  stay." — Reasons  for  the  withdrawal  of  horses  from 
the  turf  when  young.— Betsey. — Malone. — Charmer. — Training  stable  on  the 
breeding  farm. — The  location,  and  ground  plan,  showing  the  arrangement  of 
the  stalls,  walk,  and  alley. — Description  of  the  arrangements,  and  method  of 
taking  care  of  the  provender  and  grain. — Capacity  in  cubic  feet  of  the  upper 
story. — Foreman's  room.— Books,  pictures. — Material  for  building.  —  Cost. — 
Guards  against  dampness,  &c 119 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  evening -walk.— The  benefit  Clipper's  legs  would  have  derived  from  blister- 
ing.— Iodine  recommended  to  be  given  him. — Bandaging  and  wet  sponges  — 
Remedies  for  swollen  legs. — Remarks  on  walking.— Necessity  for  discrimina- 
tion.— Time  required  to  get  a  horse  in  condition. — The  three  stages  of  pre- 
paration.— The  amount  the  horses  eat  in  the  first  stage  to  be  increased  as  they 
progress. — Routine  of  feeding,  work,  and  duties  during  the  first  stage,  with 
the  time  they  are  to  be  fed,  watered,  and  exercised. — Where  to  commence  the 
walk. — Its  effects  on  the  muscles — Working  with  colts. — The  fight  at  the  quar- 
ter race. — Shakespeare's  description  of  the  horse  of  Adonis. — "Speed  gives 
bottom." — Symmetry  of  form  a  quality  of  the  blood  horse. — Colt  stakes. — 
Danger  of  working  them  on  a  hard  track  — Colts  playing  in  a  pasture-field 
taking  more  exercise  than  would  be  required  to  prepare  them  for  a  3  in  5  race. 
— Colt  races  more  interesting  than  those  of  hackneyed  performers. — Starring. 
— Hippodroming. — Mercury 136 

CHAPTER    XI. 

The  importance  of  good  weather  for  horses  to  acquire  condition. — Their  work 
should  be  given  if  the  weather  is  unfavorable. — Horses  cannot  be  conditioned 
without  work. — Directions  for  working  in  the  rnud. — Effects  of  moisture  on  the 
feet. — Injury  done  with  the  knife  and  rasp. — Governmental  aid  solicited  to 
further  the  improvements  of  horses. — Argument  in  favor  of  a  donation  by 
Congress. — The  necessity  for  better  horses  for  military  purposes. — General 
Grant  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair.— Naming  a  colt.— Quotation  from  the  "English 
at  ZTome." — Female  loveliness,  and  race  horses. — The  horse  and  civilization. — 
Stable  tricks.— Crib-biting.— Weaving. —  Pawing. —  Dislike  to  go  through  n, 
doorway. — Kicking  the  sides  of  the  stall. — A  stall  that  cured  a  kicker 148 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XII. 

PAOD 

Building  a  track  on  the  breeding  farm.— The  form,  a  parallelogram  connected 
with  semi-circles.— Eeason  for  plowing  it  deep. — Form  of  a  track  scraper,  and 
manner  of  using  it.— Track  harrow — Brush  for  sweeping  the  track.— How  to 
make  it— Prairie  soil  an  admirable  material.— Fencing.— Close  board.— Wire, 
with  growing  cottonwood  for  supports. — Breaking  the  colts  the  fall  after 
they  are  a  year  old.— Details  of  the  method  employed.— Lessons  to  be  given 
before  they  are  put  in  the  shafts.— A  practical  exemplification.— The  cruelty 
of  the  old  plan  of  bitting.— Forming  a  mouth — Allonging.— Breaking  the 

check The  Keinble  Jackson  check. — Commands  to  be  distinctly  given  and 

rigidly  enforced. — Style  and  fast  trotting  compatible. — Horses  to  be  closely 
watched  to  apportion  the  feed  rightly.— Teeth  to  be  looked  after 161 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Bits.— Snaffle — Bar.— Chain.— Leather.— Curb. — The  snaffle,  the  best  adapted 
for  all  horses  of  any  one  pattern. — Necessity  for  frequent  changes  to  find  out 
which  suits  the  best. — The  Injury  done  to  colts'  mouths  with  the  old  appli- 
ances.— The  chain  bit  can  be  made  very  severe. — Pulling  horses. — Patents  for 
controlling  them. — The  only  cure  is  not  to  pull  at  them. — Chiffney' s  slack  rein. 
— Not  "taking  hold  of  the  bit." — The  reason  why  they  do  not. — The  bearing 
rein  in  the  education  of  the  trotter.  —  The  Kemble  Jackson  check.  —  The 
advantages  of  the  check  and  driving  bit  being  distinct. — Illustration  of  the 
effects  of  the  head  check. — The  weight  differently  distributed  by  elevating  the 
head,  as  shown  by  experiments  of  French  veterinarians. — When  the  Kemble 
Jackson  should  be  used,  and  when  avoided. — Allonging  with  a  small  rope. — 
If  proper  care  is  observed,  there  is  no  danger  to  the  feet  and  legs. — Instance 
where  a  curb  bit  was  of  benefit. — Trotting  on  Michigan  Avenue. — Carrying 
the  tongue  out  of  the  mouth,  a  large  leather  bit  often  cures  the  habit. — Soreness 
of  the  angles  of  the  lips,  wash  for  it. — Contrivance  to  keep  the  bit  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  mouth. — Pulling  on  one  rein. — Harry  Hieover's  advice. — Callosities. 
—Retrospect  of  the  training. — Time  to  recuperate. — Inertness  of  the  muscles. 
— -Food. — Fat  forming  necessary. — Walking  exercise. — Roman  bath. — Direc- 
tions for  working  the  colts,  &c 175 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

The  return  of  the  Preceptor  from  his  country  jaunt. — His  description  of  Silver 
Lake  and  the  residence  of  his  friends. — The  Falcon  is  harnessed,  and  driven 
by  the  Preceptor. — He  is  delighted  with  him. — Instructions  for  working. — 
Difference  between  the  track  and  road. — Never  Mind  is  harnessed. — A  habit 
of  backing. — How  a  mare  was  treated  "  that  would  not  stand  for  a  person  to 
get  into  the  wagon."— Breaking  King.— The  mode  adopted  —The  work  the 
colts  have  had. — Green  food,  and  bran  mashes. — The  benefit  of  allowing  a 

iioi-se  to  pick  grass. — Van  Leer's  method. — May-day,  her  form  and  action 

The  eet  of  her  hocks  and  hind  legs  influencing  her  gait. — Cutting  between 
the  coronet  and  upper  pastern  joint. — How  to  remedy  it. — The  way  a  horse 
laovee  his  feet  in  the  trot  and  gallop.— Speedy  cut.— Delie— Nervousness 


CONT  ENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER    XV. 

PAGE 

Preceptor  relates  Ms  manner  of  life  in  the  country. — Description  of  Mr.  P 

and  his  daughters : 207 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Oriole  and  Mavourneen.— A  sylvan  picture. — A  love  for  the  beautiful  not  in- 
compatible with  training  horses. — Necessity  for  a  liberal  education.  Incipient 
lameness  often  shown  by  a  change  in  the  walk. — A  divided  nail  in  a  horse's 
fop^t. — Less  liability  to  accidents  from  the  present  system  of  shoeing. — Never 
Mind's  manner  of  walking  —The  probable  cause.— The  necessity  for  sweating 
him. — Commencement  of  his  preparation  for  the  sweat — Physic. — Eeasons  for 
not  using  it. — How  it  acts. — Lassitude  following  it. — How  to  get  rid  of  super- 
fluous matter  without  purges.— The  more  a  horse  eats  the  more  work  he  will 
require. — The  study  of  Ilippopathology. — Remedy  for  looseness  of  the  bowels. 
Colts  scouring. — A  homeopathic  prescription. — Cruelty  of  quacks 217 

CHAPTER    XVH. 

Harnessing.— How  to  harness  a  trotter. — The  bad  effect  of  the  martingale  being 
too  short. — The  method  of  different  drivers  to  recover  a  horse  from  a  break.— 
The  Preceptor's  plan. — Horses  pulling  when  scoring. — The  advantage  of  "get- 
ting away  from  the  score"  well. — Remarks  about  driving  Jane. — Governing  the 
temper. — A  moment  of  passion  may  render  nugatory  the  teaching  of  weeks. — 
Messenger  blood  in  Maine. — Driving  on  the  ice. — How  to  shoe  for  ice  driving. 
— Care  of  horses  when  driven  in  the  winter. — Trotting  on  the  Chicago  river. — 
An  exciting  race. — "  A  runaway  " 229 

CHAPTER  XVIH. 

The  after-dinner  smoke. — Further  remarks  on  the  martingale. — Harry  Hieover's 
and  Carl  Benson's  views. — Running  and  standing  martingales. — Importance  of  * 
the  first  lessons. — Pulling  horses,  and  tho»e  that  are  easily  driven. — Fashion. — 
Miss  Foote. — Launcelot. —  Blinders.  —  The  proper  adjustment  of  bridles. — 
Cleaning  and  preparation  of  feed. — Mixing  hominy  and  oats. — Horse  commis- 
sary department. — Oats,  hominy,  corn,  and  bran. — Oatmeal  and  sago. — The 
amount  of  bran  on  oats,  barley,  and  wheat. — The  effects  of  corn  on  "  washy 
horses" 242 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

Regularity  in  exercising.— The  work  of  Never  Mind  on  the  day  preceding  the 
sweat. — Conversation  on  sweating. — The  objects  of  sweating. — Relief  to  the 
respiratory  organs — Benefit  to  the  muscles.— Horses  not  liable  to  "bake" 
when  this  plan  of  sweating  is  followed. — The  action  of  the  heart  and  lungs 
during  fast  work. — Greater  increase  of  respiration  than  arterial  action. — Dif- 
ference between  a  fat  horse  becoming  tired,  and  one  in  condition. — Powers  of 
recuperation. — The  diaphragm. — Fat  within  the  chest. — How  fat  impedes  the 
action  of  the  heart. — Change  in  the  blood. — Its  passage  to  the  extremities.— - 
Gi-etting  rid  of  the  watery  particles. — Oily  matter  in  the  perspiration. — Sab' 
traction  of  the  fatty  globules  probably  makes  the  blood  easier  to  propeL — 
Rhythm  of  the  pulse  and  step. — Lungs,  heart,  muscles,  and  digestive  organs, 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

all  benefited  by  judicious  sweating.—  Expansion  of  the  chest.  —  Intercostal 
muscles. — Modifications  of  sweating. — Injury  to  the  lungs  permanent. —  Fat, 
where  deposited. — Change  in  the  muscles  from  work. — Roman  bath. — Increase 
in  the  size  of  the  muscles  as  the  fat  is  wasted.— The  local  effects  of  sweat- 
ing.—Illustrations.— Benefit  of  a  well  shaped  neck.— Strain  of  the  loin.— In- 
terval between  the  sweats. — "Drawing"  a  horse. — Long  and  short  races. — 
Seasoning. — Effects  of  scoring. — Inducing  perspiration  between  heats. — How 
to  induce  perspiration.— Manner  of  clothing.— A  race  where  the  favorite  was 
beaten,  probably  owing  to  suppressed  perspiration 256 

CHAPTER    XX. 

An  adventure  in  St.  Louis — Intricacies  of  sweating. — Decarbonization  of  the 
blood  through  the  pores  of  the  skin.— Purifying  the  skin.— Constant  grooming 
produces  soreness.  —  Dandruff. — The  effects  of  sweating  on  the  skin. — The 
veins  of  the  thoroughbred  prominent  and  large. — Insensible  perspiration. — 
Black  Maria. — Mr.  Stevens'  training  stable. — Advantages  of  scales  to  weigh 
horses  after  the  sweats.— Haney's  Maria.— Improvement  in  tracks,  ho'rses,  and 
training. — Difference  between  sweating  colts  and  old  horses. — Not  so  necessary 
to  reduce  colts. — Mash  previous  to  sweating. — How  to  make  it. — Remarks  on 
driving  and  shoeing  May-day. — Directions  for  feeding  Never  Mind  the  night 
before  the  sweat 280 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

The  morning  of  the  sweat. — Temperature. — The  management  when  postponed. — 
Muzzling.  —  Bedding. — Other  material  than  straw. —  Advantages  of  sand. — 
"Wallowing  bed.'1 — Never  Mind's  walk.  —  The  preparation.  —  How  he  was 
clothed. — Guards  against  injuring  himself. — How  to  prepare  the  drink. — The 
work  he  received.  —  Management  in  the  stable.— Inducing  a  free  flow  of 
perspiration. — How  to  prolong  it,  and  when  to  stop. — Scraping  and  rubbing. — 
Adjustment  of  the  clothes. — Restriction  in  his  drink,  and  the  reasons  for  it.— 
The  walk  after  the  sweat. — His  appearance,  final  care,  and  how  to  feed. — 
Reasons  for  putting  additional  clothing  on,  when  first  brought  into  the  stable. 
— The  manner  of  sweating  will  vary  as  the  preparation  proceeds. — Driving  Jane. 
— Breeding  trotters. — The  teachings  of  the  past. — Messenger. — George  Wilkes, 
Dexter,  and*  General  Butler. — The  Pilot  family.— Andrew  Jackson. — Jupiter. — 
Rysdyk's  Hainbletonian.— Tabular  pedigree.— His  in-breeding.— Hambletonian's 
Andrew  Jackson  and  One  Eye. — Crosses  of  Messenger  in  the  Falcon. — The 
Hamblefconian,  and  American  Star  cross. — Cassius  M.  Clay. — Geo.  M.  Patchen. 
— Wm.  T.  Porter's  description  of  Abdallah. — Mr.  Morris'  certificate  of  the 
blood  of  Mambrino. — Ariel,  her  exploits. — Tabular  pedigree  showing  her  in- 
breeding to  Messenger 294 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

Danger  of  smoking  in  the  stable. — Care  of  Never  Mind. — Loose  boxes  and  stalls. 
— Horses  should  not  be  disturbed. — Injury  to  the  elbow  while  lying  dovn. — 
Remedies.  —  Charles  Lamb.— Quotation  from  the  Turf  Register  about  Mes- 
senger.— Partial  history  of  him. — Dissemination  of  blood  in  the  North-east. — 
Trotters  of  the  olden  time — Paul  Pry. — Further  consideration  of  the  Mes- 
senger blood.  —  Goldsmith  mare. —  Major  Winfield.— Squire  Bingham.— Sir 
Archy. — Planet. — Bonnie  Scotland. — Horse  Heraldry 319 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

PAGE 

Pedigree  copied  from  an  advertisement.  —  The  importance  of  the  weather  in 
training  operations.  —  A  "green  horse."  —  Pleasure  and  disappointment.  —  Train- 
er  •wrongfully  blamed.  —  Jealousy.  —  The  work  the  day  after  the  sweat.  —  Signs 
showing  that  the  sweating  was  not  overdone.  —  Directions  for  driving  the  Fal- 
con and  Jane.  —  Precepts  to  be  enforced  in  breaking  horses.  —  Mental  power.  — 
Clipper.  —  Firing.  —  Percival's  remarks  on  firing.  —  May's  performance  in  new 
shoes.  —  Changing  the  ground  surface  of  horse's  feet.  —  Directions  how  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  horses  for  the  ensuing  three  weeks'  work.  —  Sweating,  feed, 
bandages,  rattles,  &c  ......................................................  329 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Day-dreams.  —  Scotch  character.  —  An  old  nurse.  —  The  food  of  horses  in  training. 
Hay.  —  Corn  blades.  —  Straw.  —  The  best  hay.  —  How  to  determine  it.  —  The  time 
to  cut.  —  Mowburnt  hay.  —  Corn  blades,  their  advantages,  and  how  to  feed 
them.  —  Effect  of  diet  on  the  respiratory  organs.  —  Lord  H.  Seymour's  stable  in 
France.  —  The  uses  of  straw  as  food,  when  training.  —  Prairie  hay.  —  Prairie  on 
fire.  —  Immunity  from  heaves  in  horses  that  are  fed  on  prairie  hay.—  Objections 
to  it.—  Thick  and  thin  seeding.—  Table  of  relative  value  of  different  kinds  of  • 
food.—  Stemming  corn-blades.—  Pulling  hay.—  Time  for  feeding  hay.—  "Crav- 
ing" and  delicate  horses.  —  Oats.  —  Proportion  of  carbon  and  nitrogen  in  oats.  — 
Light  and  heavy  oats.—  The  qualities  they  should  have,  and  how  to  test  them. 
—  Corn.  —  Bran.  —  Lindseed-meal.  —  Oat-meal.  —  Sago.  —  Sago  when  horses  are 
"baked."  —  Number  of  feeds  in  a  day.  —  Time  of  giving  them.  —  Green  food.  — 
The  benefits  of  it  to  horses  in  train.  —  Cutting  grass,  and  grazing.  —  New  way  to 
give  horses  excercise.  -Watering  horses  after  driving.  —  Directions  for  driving 
Never  Mind  ..............................................................  344 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

Letter  from  Chicago.  —  Pupil  recounts  the  work  he  has  given  the  horses  in  the 
absence  of  the  Preceptor.  —  Driving  when  the  rattles  are  worn.  —  Knee  action 
increased  by  driving  on  sandy  roads.  —  Effects  of  snow  on  colts.  —  Allonging.  — 
Sherry  wine  between  heats.  —  When  it  should  be  given.  —  Water.  —  Rain,  river, 
and  spring  water.  —  Danger  of  change  of  water.  —  Airing.  —  Temperature.  — 
Acidulating.  —  Light  feeders  to  be  encouraged  to  drink.  —  The  amount  to  be 
given.  —  Frequency  of  watering.  —  Gruel.  —  Sponging  mouth  and  nostrils:  —  The 
difference  in  sweating  the  Falcon,  and  Never  Mind.  —  Sweating  Jane.  —  Instruc- 
tions for  driving.—  The  work  for  the  next  two  weeks.  —  Minute  directions  for 
the  management  for  that  period.  —  Capacity  of  swallowing  ....................  363 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Cutting  the  quarters.  —  How  to  dress  the  wound.  —  Horses  should  not  go  out  too 
early  in  the  morning.  —  Preceptor  examines  the  Falcon.  —  Remarks  on  his  condi- 
tion. —  How  to  judge  of  a  horse  being  in  order.  —  The  appearance  of  horses 
whon  in  condition.  —  Pupil  gives  a  history  of  the  work  the  horses  have  had  for 
the  past  three  weeks.  —  Preceptor's  comments.  —  Errors  in  Pupil's  management 
of  Never  Mind.—  The  benefit  of  trotting  horses  in  races  to  further  their  condi- 


xii  CONTENTS. 


PACM 

tion. — The  Preceptor's  ideas  of  the  best  form  for  a  model  roadster. — "  Points," 
and  why  a  particular  form  gives  superiority. — Nerve  force. — How  to  detect  it. — 
Action. — The  natural  action  a  horse  should  have  to  make  a  trotter. — Long  and 
short  horses.— Driving  colts.— How  they  ought  to  be  worked,  sweated,  &c  . . .  378 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

Walking  in  the  dew.— Hoof  ointments.— Cracked  heels.— How  to  dress  them.— 
Glycerine,  and  its  uses. — Driving  the  Falcon,  with  instructions  from  the  Pre- 
ceptor.— Care  after  the  drive,  and  how  he  is  to  be  treated  in  the  future. — The 
race,  the  best  school  to  teach  horses  to  trot. — How  to  manage  a  "  dark 
horse." — The  work  of  Never  Mind. — How  to  drive  him  to  keep  him  off  his 
quarters,  and  manage  him  in  a  break. — Galloping  a  horse  with  a  trotter. — 
Driving  Jane. —  Her  speed  and  length  of  stride. — Short  and  long  striding 
horses. — The  stride  of  horses,  with  diagrams  showing  the  position  of  the  feet 
in  the  trot  and  gallop. — Length  of  stride  explained. — Advantages  of  measuring 
strides  so  as  to  know  the  reasons  for  a  falling  off  in  speed. — May's  trial. — 
Necessity  for  further  care  that  she  does  not  strike  her  pastern. — Skill  more 
effectual  in  managing  a  horse  than  physical  strength. — Running  away. — The 
order  horses  should  be  in  when  commencing  a  campaign 400 

CHAPTER    XXVIIL 

Trials.— "Weather  and  track  favorable  for  making  fast  time. — The  way  the  horses 
were  prepared  for  the  trial. — The  Preceptor  recommands  changes. — Time  re- 
quired for  digestion. — Clipper's  legs. — Symptoms  of  "breaking  down." — Ef- 
fects of  weight.— Qualifications  of  a  driver.— Trial  of  the  Falcon.— Directions 
for  driving. — Difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  sweat. — Instructions  for  driv- 
ing Never  Mind. — His  first  mile. — Scraping  him  on  the  track,  and  the  reasons 
for  doing  so. — How  to  drive  him  in  the  repeat. — The  time  made. — His  dis- 
tress.— How  to  recover  him. — The  after  care. — Preceptor's  instructions  how  to 
feed,  work,  &c.,  till  the  morning  of  the  race 416 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

Never  Mind,  trots  in  a  race. — Minute  instructions  for  driving. — Management  be- 
fore the  race.— The  treatment  between  the  heats,  and  the  care  after  it  is 
finished. — The  manner  of  feeding,  making  a  mash  proper  for  a  horse  to  eat 
after  a  hard  race.— Boots,  &c 430 


APPENDIX. 

Dexter.— His  Measurement  and  Description. ,  4AQ 

LVDEX. 450 


HOBSE    PORTRAITURE. 


CHAPTEE   I. 

INTRODUCTORY — ARRIYAL  OF  THE  "TRIAL  STABLE." 

PUPIL. — Good  morning,  my  esteemed  Tutor.  You  per- 
ceive I  have  taken  you  at  your  word,  and  have  come  with, 
my  whole  family,  bideps  and  quadrupeds,  to  avail  myself 
of  your  kind  teachings.  Nature  smiles  on  the  commence- 
ment ;  I  never  remember  a  morning  when  everything 
looked  more  gay  and  cheerful.  A  choir  of  birds  in  every 
tree,  making  melody  such  as  you  cannot  hear  where  gas 
pollutes  the  air,  and  the  caller  air  exhilarating  like  cham- 
pagne, the  very  poetry  of  breathing.  Look  at  that  black 
thoroughbred,  the  one  with  no  ear  pieces  to  his  hood.  He 
is  telling  you,  as  plainly  as  though  he  was  gifted  with 
speech,  that  he  enjoys  it,  and  wants  you  to  know  it.  He 
is  a  physiognomist,  and  the  first  glance  at  you  told  him 
that  you  knew  the  next  most  difficult  thing  to  a  woman, 
a  horse,  as  old  Sam  Weller  says.  Look  at  the  beaming 
of  the  hazel  eye,  the  expression  of  the  long,  slim  ears — it 
would  be  a  sin  to  cover  them  with  ear  pieces — the  exten- 
ded muzzle  and  expanded  nostril  inhaling  the  aerial  treat, 
while  his  eye  enjoys  the  beauty  of  the  scenery.  But  I  do 
not  want  to  tire  you  at  the  outset ;  so  come  to  the  stable, 
where  I  will  introduce  to  you  the  pupils  of  your  pupil, 


14  HOKSE    PORTRAITURE. 

telling  you  what  is  not  apparent,  history,  pedigree,  con- 
stitution, tricks,  &c. 

PEECEPTOK. — When  I  made  you  the  promise  of  teaching 
you  my  craft  of  managing  and  training  trotters,  I  hardly 
expected  you  would  give  me  so  good  an  opportunity,  for 
I  should  judge,  from  the  looks  of  your  string,  that  you 
had  nearly  a  specimen  brick  of  all  kinds,  and  I  will  wager 
a  dozen  of  wine  that  I  can  give  a  good  guess  at  their 
different  natural  qualities.  What  they  have  acquired 
from  bad  teachings  would  be  harder  to  tell.  Let  us  move 
to  the  stable,  where  we  will  become  more  particularly 
acquainted.  Looking  at  a  horse  in  his  clothes  is  a  good 
deal  like  telling  what  a  book  will  be  from  knowing  the 
author — you  have  a  notion  of  his  ideas  ;  and  you  can  see 
a  horse's  eye — a  great  part  of  the  animal,  for  I  never 
knew  a  good  one  that  you  could  not  see  something  of  his 
character  in  the  eye.  Yet  the  spirit  and  will  may  be  there 
without  the  capability  of  performing  :  that  you  have  to 
judge  of  from  the  form  and  muscular  development. 

Trotters  "go  in  all  forms,"  as  well  as  runners. 

There  would  have  been  more  truth  in  the  proverb  if  it 
said  a  variety  of  shapes  all  tending  to  the  same  model. 
Some  time  I  will  acquaint  you  with  what  I  consider  the 
best  form  for  a  roadster  ;  and  what  is  more  enjoyable  than 
a  drive,  such  a  morning  as  this  ?  A  good  horse,  light, 
easy  running  wagon,  with  the  road  smooth,  so  that  you 
can  let  him  "g-long,"  and  work  off  the  superabundance 
of  animal  spirits  that  the  fresh  air  you  speak  of  gives  a 
horse,  as  well  as  those  birds  that  are  giving  vent  to  theirs 
in  joyous  song  and  animated  flight.  For  youngsters  like 
you,  a  gallop  may  be  more  congenial  to  the  hot  blood, 
but  when  you  arrive  on  the  shady  side  of  fifty,  then  the 
smooth  running  wagon  is  the  thing. 

PUPIL. — Fond  as  I  am  of   mounting    the  back  of  a 


DELIGHTS     OF    THE    BOAD.  15 

thoroughbred,  and  galloping  over  verdant  turf,  every 
bound  of  the  horse  sending  the  blood  dancing  through 
my  veins, — as  different  from  the  sluggish  stream  in  the  ar- 
teries of  the  votaries  of  fashion,  as  the  mountain  brook  is 
opposite  to  a  Mississippi  bayou, — yet  I  can  enjoy  the  de- 
lights of  the  road  as  well  as  my  elders.  A  bright  morn- 
ing ere  the  dew  is  off  the  grass  ;  the  sun's  rays  gilding 
the  eastern  slopes  of  the  hills  ;  and  you  jog  along  listening 
to  the  measured  footfall  of  your  horse,  musical  in  its 
cadence.  Half  a  dozen  miles  are  accomplished  nearly  in 
half  an  hour,  when  you  hear  what  appears  like  the  echo 
of  your  steed's  tramp.  One  ear  is  thrown  back,  the  five 
minute  gait  is  changed  to  something  faster,  a  sharper 
hold  is  taken  of  the  bit.  You  are  hardly  aware  of  the 
cause  for  the  change,  until  some  one  pulls  out  for  you, 
and  away  you  go,  neck  and  neck ;  the  grade  is  little  des- 
cending, and  the  weight  of  the  one  hundred  and  thirty 
pound  buggy  is  not  felt.  Steady,  my  boy,  you  have  got 
him  skipping,  he  leaves  his  feet  and  is  pawing  frantically 
in  the  air.  You  slide  away  a  few  lengths,  and  take  your 
horse  in  hand  ready  for  another  brush.  This  is  the  excite- 
ment of  the  morning  drive.  In  the  evening  the  pair  is 
harnessed  ;  this  time  you  have  a  companion,  perhaps  a 
friend  with  whom  you  talk  horse,  the  salient  points  of 
the  last  race,  the  relative  qualities  of  the  roadsters  you 
are  both  acquainted  with,  the  benefit  of  a  strong  dash  of 
blood  for  the  road  as  well  as  for  the  turf,  &c.  The  halt 
at  the  frequented  horse  hotel,  arguments  as  to  which  of 
the  quadrupeds  under  the  shed  is  the  fastest ;  the  friend- 
ly match  for  a  few  hundred  to  test  it  on  the  Fashion 
or  Union,  and  home  again,  with  something  else  to  think 
of  than  the  rise  or  fall  of  gold,  stocks  or  grain,  or  smooth- 
ing out  a  furrow  or  two  made  by  what  you  think  may 
turn  out  a  bad  investment.  Or,  in  place  of  the  friend  who 
talks  horse,  your  companion  wears  Number  Three  gaiter 


16  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

boots,  a  jaunty  bonnet,  with  a  stray  curl  for  the  wind  to 
toss  away  from  the  "cheeks  like  lilies  dipt  in  wine."  You 
can  hardly  recall  what  has  been  said,  but  you  never  will 
forget  the  thrill,  as  the  tapering  arm  was  placed  on  yours, 
as  you  let  them  speed  along  the  smooth  road  ;  and  then 
in  the  winter — the  same  partner,  a  "duck  of  a  sleigh"- 
but  hold,  I  am  running  away  with  myself,  and  have  al- 
ready said  enough  to  convince  you  that  I  am  as  enthusi- 
astically fond  of  a  dash  on  the  road,  as  a  sail  in  the 
pigskin. 

PBECEPTOE. — Both  are  good  ;  and  though  I  have  grown 
grey  and  old  in  the  profession,  as  you  may  term  it,  of 
training  horses,  yet  the  same  feelings  come  over  me  as 
when  young,  and  I  am  only  kept  from  showing  them,  for 
fear  of  the  invidious  remark  of  "what  airs  that  old  fool 
is  putting  on."  Years  are  not  the  true  test  of  age.  For 
instance — you  will  pardon  the  comparison,  but  the  horse 
is  so  intimately  blended  with  my  feelings  I  cannot  help 
it — when  you  see  some  veteran  of  the  turf  whose  youth 
and  prime  were  a  series  of  hard  contests,  led  out  of 
the  stable,  how  hard  it  is  to  believe  he  is  what  would  be 
termed  old.  Curving  his  neck  and  proudly  caracoling, 
he  has  more  sense  than  to  be  ashamed  of  his  youthful 
feelings,  but  his  master — while  acknowledging  his  sense 
— is  ashamed  of  copying  from  an  animal  that  he  stigma- 
tizes with  the  name  of  brute.  Without  wishing  to  recall 
what  I  said  about  the  smooth  running  wagon,  there  are 
times  I  would  delight  in  a  gallop  that  would  stir  the 
blood.  There  is  enjoyment  for  me  in  rapid  locomotion 
that  I  cannot  well  explain,  and  I  have  often  envied  the 
Englishmen  their  exciting  sport  of  fox-hunting,  which 
young  and  old  follow  with  so  much  zest.  My  only 
acquaintance  with  it  is  from  reading,  and  the  enthusi- 
astic reports  of  those  who  have  taken  part  in  the  di- 
version. Yet  I  fancy  there  is  more  pleasure  in  it  than 


A    POEM    BY    BULWEK.  17 

any  one  but  an  ardent  horseman  would  imagine  from 
hearing  the  most  vivid  account  of  some  celebrated  run. 
There  is  a  little  piece  'of  poetry,  written  by  one  of  the 
titled  sons  of  that  country  whose  boast  is  that  it  sur- 
passes all  others  for  beautiful  woman,  fine  horses  and 
grand  trees.  I  read  it  more  than  a  score  of  years  ago  for 
the  first  time,  and  have  read  it  so  often  that  I  still  know 
every  word  of  it.  I  will  repeat  it,  but  my  rehearsal  will 
not  do  it  justice.  It  may  not  even  be  good  poetry,  I  do 
not  claim  to  be  a  judge  of  what  the  critics  would  call 
good,  still  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  what  pleased  me  so 
well,  will  have  some  charms  for  you: — 

Come  forth,  my  brave  steed — the  sun  shines  on  the  vale, 
And  the  morning  is  bearing  its  balm  on  the  gale, 
Come  forth,  my  brave  steed,  and  brush  off  as  we  pass, 
With  the  hoofs  of  thy  speed,  the  bright  dew  from  the  grass. 

Let  the  lover  go  warble  his  strains  to  the  fair — 
I  regard  not  his  rapture,  and  heed  not  his  care  ; 
But  now,  as  we  bound  o'er  the  mountain  and  lea, 
I'll  wave,  my  brave  steed,  a  mild  measure  to  thee. 

Away  and  away — I  exult  in  the  glow 
Which  is  breaking  its  pride  to  my  cheek  as  we  go ; 
And  blithely  my  spirit  springs  forth  as  the  air 
Which  is  waving  the  mane  of  thy  dark  flowing  hair. 

Hail,  thou  gladness  of  heart  and  thou  freshness  of  soul, 
Which  have  never  come  o'er  me  in  pleasure's  control — 
Which  the  dance  and  the  revel,  the  bowl  and  the  board, 
Tho'-  they  flush'd  and  they  fever'd,  could  never  afford. 

In  the  splendor  of  solitude  speed  we  along, 

Thro'  the  silence  but  broke  by  the  wild  linnet's  song  ; 

Not  a  sight  to  the  eye,  not  a  sound  to  the  ear, 

To  tell  us  that  sin  and  that  sorrow  are  near. 

Away  and  away,  and  away  then  we  pass — 
The  blind  mole  shall  not  hear  the  light  foot  on  the  grass  ; 
And  the  time  which  is  flying,  while  I  am  with  thee, 
Peems  as  swift  as  thyself  as  we  bound  o'er  the  lea. 


18  HOESEPOKTRAITUKE. 

PUPIL. — Your  declamation,  I  think,  is  superior  to  the 
poetry,  while  the  subject  is  one  that  will  stir  the  blood 
like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  The  author,  Sir  E.  Lytton 
Buiwer,  has  won  a  world-wide  reputation  by  what  he  has 
written — some  of  it  certainly  inferior  to  that.  Still  I  am 
pleased  that  you  recited  it  to  me.  I  have  read  it,  but 
was  rather  disappointed,  looking  for  something  superior 
from  the  talented  author.  Your  recital  was  like  Sir 
Walter  Scott's  acting  a  warlike,  Scottish  ballad — when, 
with  walking  stick  in  rest  and  brent  brow,  he  looked  the 
very  impersonification  of  ihe  ancient  knight  he  knew  so 
well  how  to  portray.  I  shall  always  think  you  out  of 
place  sitting  in  the  sulkey,  "hick,  haying"  and  making 
all  the  uncouth  noises  imaginable  to  encourage  your  own 
horse  and  disturb  your  adversaries  ;  but  here  we  are  at 
the  stables.  Ho !  boys,  take  the  clothes  off.  Lead  out 
your  horses. 


CHAPTEK    II. 

DESCKIPTION    OF    "NEVER  MIND"    AND   "JANE" — NAMES, 
DRIVING,  ETC. 

PUPIL. — Here  is  one  raised  "away  down"  in  Maine. 
When  three  years  old,  he  was  taken  to  the  fruitful  soil 
and  more  genial  climate  of  Illinois.  Showing  at  times  a 
great  deal  of  speed,  but  generally  single  footing,  and 
hitching,  with  other  disagreeable  qualities  that  severely 
tested  the  patience  of  his  owner.  One  year  he  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  man  who  had  some  celebrity  as  a  trainer, 
but  he  utterly  failed  to  improve  him.  In  fact,  he  was 
worse  than  ever  last  fall,  not  being  able  to  trot  square  a 
step,  having  been  ingloriously  beaten  by  a  horse  that 
could  not  trot  better  than  fifty.  I  saw  him  two  or  three 
times  while  in  this  man's  hands,  and  fancied  there  were 
several  reasons  why  he  had  not  done  better.  From  some 
slight  irritation  in  his  throat,  he  is  frequently  troubled 
with  a  cough  which  was  set  down  as  heaves.  He  was 
strictly  confined  to  prairie  hay,  selecting  that  in  which 
there  was  the  most  resin  weed.  This  being  a  powerful 
diuretic,  affected  his  kidneys.  Being  in  fine  order  and 
high  spirited  when  the  trainer  first  commenced  driving  him 
he  became  timorous,  and  feared  his  running  away.  This 
led  him  to  give  him  more  severe  work  than  he  ought  to  have 
done.  A  great  share  of  this  work  was  given  under  clothing, 
heavy  blankets,  hoods  and  wrappers,  till  the  poor  animal 
was  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton,  looking  like  some  veteran 


20  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

four-mile  race  horse,  at  the  close  of  a  hard  season's  cam- 
paign. He  actually  reeled  in  his  walk,  and  I  fancy  he  has 
never  overcome  the  habit,  and  still  walks  as  if  he  was 
strained  in  the  loin. 

His  sire  is  said  to  have  been  thoroughbred,  and  from 
his  appearance  he  is  undoubtedly  possessed  of  a  good  deal 
of  breeding.  I  am  very  sanguine  of  his  going  fast,  and 
hope,  under  your  guidance,  not  to  be  disappointed. 

PKECEPTOK. — There  is  certainly  nothing  in  his  form  to 
prevent  him,  and  if  his  education  has  always  been  of  the 
kind  he  was  tortured  with  last  summer,  and  he  displays 
speed  at  times,  we  will  give  him  a  "  fair  show,"  trusting, 
by  proper  management,  to  overcome  the  faulty  tuition, 
and  take  the  crook  out  of  the  bent  twig.  His  shape  is 
certainly  good,  more  so  than  the  average  of  our  fast  ones; 
his  neck  and  shoulders  are  very  fine,  his  barrel  first-rate, 
with  good  limbs.  The  worst  points  I  see  are  a  slackness 
about  the  loin,  and  narrowness  of  the  head,  betokening  a 
foolishness  which  will  require  careful  handling  not  to 
augment.  The  white  stripe  lights  up  his  face,  animating 
his  countenance,  relieving  it  in  a  great  measure  from  the 
bad  effects  that  would  otherwise  be  apparent  from  the 
narrowness  of  the  skull  I  spoke  of.  I  agree  with  you  that 
he  shows  a  good  deal  of  blood,  which  is  all  that  probably 
saved  him  through  the  ordeal  of  blankets  and  rugs, 
scrapers  and  rubbers.  I  see  from  the  scars,  he  has  been 
grabbing  his  quarters,  and  I  should  judge  he  had  some 
pretty  severe  wounds.  This  may  have  occurred  from 
faulty  shoeing  or  bad  driving.  Very  few  horses  properly 
shod  and  handled  will  cut  themselves,  though  there  are 
exceptions.  I  have  known  several  that  nothing  would 
avert  the  blow,  save  the  best  of  boots  made  by  Gibson,  or 
some  one  equally  well  versed  in  the  manufacture  of  that 
part  of  horse  equipments  ;  but  that  and  shoeing  will  come 
more  appropriately  as  we  progress.  What  name  do  you 


NAMES     FOE     HOESES.  21 

call  this  high-headed  brown  ?  We  will  mutually  have  to 
know  all  their  various  cognomens,  in  order  to  understand 
which  one  we  are  talking  about  without  circumlocution. 

PUPIL. — "Never  Mind."  No  disrespect  intended,  for 
this  horse  is  called  Never  Mind.  The  nomenclature  of 
horses  is  something  that  might  be  greatly  improved.  I 
do  not  offer  this  as  the  result  of  my  efforts  in  that  line, 
and  some  other  time  will  explain.  We  are  too  much 
given  either  to  name  horses  after  our  acquaintance,  until 
one  is  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  the  biped  or  quadruped 
is  meant,  or  follow  some  celebrity  till  the  names  are  mul- 
tiplied in  the  register,  and  we  are  equally  puzzled  to  un- 
derstand which  of  the  many  wearing  the  same  title  is  in- 
tended. 

PRECEPTOR. — As  a  general  thing  the  English  are  more 
happy  in  the  christening  of  their  horses  than  we,  though 
Lord  George  Beiitinck,  and  others,  "  not  near  so  smart," 
gave  some  of  them  names  that  were  neither  appropriate 
nor  poetical,  as  "  All  'round  my  hat,"  "  Here  I  go  with  an 
eye  out."  will  testify.  Yet,  in  a  majority  of.  cases,  their 
flyers  have  possessed  very  good  ones,  as  Harkaway — that 
grand  horse,  unfortunate  in  being  in  the  possession  of 
one  of  the  guerrillas  of  the  turf.  Beeswing,  t'auld  mare, 
whose  defeat  at  Newcastle  made  strong,  sturdy  coal 
miners  weep  like  children  ;  but  they  were  not  often  called 
on  to  mourn  in  this  way,  she  winning  fifty-one  races  out 
of  sixty-four  starts,  a  feat — or  rather  succession  of  them — 
unparalleled  in  sporting  annals  ;  Touchstone,  the  progen- 
itor of  hundreds  of  winners  ;  West  Australian,  marking 
an  era  by  his  triple  victory,  to  be  repeated  by  the  colt 
bred  under  the  sunny  skies  of  France.  Old  Queen  Mary's 
daughter,  Blink  Bonny,  and  grandson,  Blair  Athol,  carry 
you  to  the  blooming  heather  and  bonny  braes,  where  you 
can  smell  the  perfume  of  the  birk  and  hawthorn,  where 
the  gowan  and  the  modest  primrose  are  peering  above  the 

2 


22  HOUSE     PORTRAITURE. 

grass  on  the  burnside,  the  lintwhite  and  mavis  singing  in 
the  glen. 

True,  we  haye  had  Bonnets  o'  Blue,  Flirtilla,  Cassandra, 
Lady  Lightfoot,  Peytona,  Charmer,  Idlewild,  Timoleon, 
Pacolet,  Gracchus — all  very  good  names,  which  cannot  be 
said  of  Creath,  the  pronunciation  of  which  caused  almost 
as  much  discussion  in  this  country  as  the  famous  Ilionea 
controversy  did  in  England ;  Joe  Blackburn,  Geo.  M. 
Patchen,  Bed  Bill,  Hornblower,  Bed  Oak,  &c. 

How  happy  Peytona  must  have  been,  when  her  name 
was  changed  from  Glumdalclitch  to  the  proud  one  the 
winning  of  the  $150,000  stake  entitled  her  to  wear.  Un- 
der the  former  she  never  could  have  beaten  the  peerless 
Fashion,  that  vindicated  her  claim  to  be  the  top  of  the 
mode  by  re-conquering  the  Victrix,  after  being  in  a  "little 
better  fix." 

PUPIL. — I  am  well  pleased  to  find  that  others  have  been 
giving  this  matter  thought  as  well  as  myself,  and  when  we 
come  to  the  babies  I  have  brought  to  commence  their 
schooling,  will  be  much  obliged  to  have  you  assist  me  in 
giving  them  names  they  may  wear  with  honor  to  them- 
selves and  pleasure  to  us.  This  lengthy  bay  mare  I  sim- 
ply call  Jane.  Her  life,  like  Never  Mind's,  has  not  been 
one  of  strange  vicissitude,  but  a  sameness  of  bad  manage- 
ment that  would  have  made  human  subjects  incorrigible. 
Wlien  I  first  got  her,  it  was  claimed  she  was  by  Glencoe, 
her  dam  by  Bertrand,  the  mother  of  Andy  Burt.  Her 
glossy  silken  coat,  strong  muscular  development,  and 
high  life,  corroborated  the  statement ;  but  her  eyelids 
are  heavy,  her  pasterns  short,  her  shoulders  rather  too 
upright,  while  her  inane  and  tail  has  a  wave,  almost  a 
curl,  that  always  caused  me  to  doubt  the  truth  of  this  as- 
sertion, and  on  making  inquiry  found  that  on  her  mother's 
si  ie  alone  she  could  claim  aristocratic  lineage. 

In  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Frank  Harper,  of  Midway, 


HISTOKYOF^JANE."  23 

Kentucky,  lie  informed  me  that  lie  was  her  breeder,  that 
her  dam  was  by  Bertrand,  left  with  him  by  a  man  who 
had  emigrated  to  the  Pacific  slope.  Her  sire  was  a 
French  Canadian  pacer  owned  by  him.  She  was  bought 
by  a  gentleman,  who,  after  making  a  fortune  in  business 
in  Cincinnati,  bought  a  large  farm  in  that  beautiful  coun- 
try 'that  surrounds  Madison,  Wisconsin,  erecting  fine 
buildings,  and  stocking  it  with  animals  that  cost  a  "  heap 
of  money."  Unfortunately,  he  had  not  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  either  farming  or  stock  breeding  to  make  either 
pleasant  or  profitable.  After  spending  all  he  had  made 
in  fine  buildings  and  foolish  experiments, — as  an  illustra- 
tion of  which  I  was  informed  that  in  one  season  he  grew 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  carrots  ;  his  large  cellars 
were  filled,  new  ones  made,  but  they  would  not  hold  a 
quarter  of  his  root  crops  alone — his  stock  and  farm  were 
sold. 

He  commenced  teaching  Jane  to  trot  when  she  was 
three  years  old,  driving  an  old  trotting  mare,  and  leading 
the  colt  behind  the  wagon.  She  was  broken  very  easily, 
proving  kind  and  tractable,  but  when  aroused  possessed 
of  a  very  high  temper. 

He  built  a  track,  and  employed  a  man  who  represented 
himself  as  being  a  competent  trainer.  The  farm  by  this  had 
become  very  irksome,  and  most  of  his  time  was  spent  in 
Chicago  and  Detroit.  The  self- recommended  man  proved 
not  only  worthless  as  a  trainer,  but  a  drunken  loafer. 
His  horses,  of  course,  felt  the  effects  of  his  bad  temper, 
engendered  by  bad  whiskey.  This  animal  got  to  pulling, 
and  finally  ran  away  every  time  he  attempted  to  drive 
her.  As  a  proof  of  her  sense,  the  gentleman's  wife  could 
drive  her  with  perfect  safety,  which  she  did  whenever  she 
wanted  to  enjoy  a  drive  on  the  banks  of  the  clear  lake 
which  skirted  their  estate,  taking  her  children  with  her, 
and  feeling  perfectly  safe.  When  sold,  she  was  only 


24  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

driven  slowly  on  the  road,  as  whenever  started  to  speed, 
her  pulling  propensities  returned  in  full  force,  and  it 
took  a  strong  arm  to  restrain  her  from  running  away. 
Again  she  went  into  the  hands  of  a  trainer  of  trotting 
horses.  This  man  brought  her  home  in  a  couple  of 
months  with  a  knee  enlarged  to  twice  its  natural  size  ; 
her  mouth  torn  to  pieces  with  severe  bits,  and  a  jaded  ap- 
pearance, as  though  she  had  been  towing  a  canal  boat  the 
whole  summer. 

I  heard  she  was  offered  for  sale  at  a  low  figure,  and 
succeeded  in  purchasing  her.  I  have  "great  expecta- 
tions" that,  under  your  judicious  directions,  she  will  yet 
prove  a  good  animal.  I  must  own  I  am  going  to  put 
your  skill  to  a  very  severe  test,  as  I  have  none  but  those 
who  have  been  very  badly  handled,  or  young  things  that 
we  can  only  surmise  whether  they  will  trot  or  not.  To 
return  to  this  mare's  peculiarities,  her  gait  is  the  reverse 
of  the  brown  horse's,  square  as  a  brick,  with  a  long  open 
stride. 

PRECEPTOB. — I  like  the  appearance  of  Madam  Jane  very 
.well.  She  has  evidently  a  fund  of  strength  that  can  be 
made  available  for  either  good  or  evil.  With  proper 
teaching  she  would  have  been  ignorant  of  exerting  it  to 
our  prejudice.  Now  we  will  have  to  depend  on  gaining 
her  affection,  so  that  she  will  have  the  same  confidence  in 
us  that  she  had  in  the  lady  who  had  the  temerity  to  intrust 
her  own  and  her  children's  lives  to  a  horse  that  had  ever 
run  away.  There  is  a  subtle  fluid,  magnetism  we  will  call 
it,  between  the  horse  and  driver,  the  reins  being  the  me- 
dium through  which  it  is  conveyed.  How  angry  I  be- 
come when  I  see  a  big  brute  tugging  away  for  dear  life  at 
these  leathern  straps,  his  body  braced  as  if  a  yoke  of  oxen 
were  hitched  to  him  to  pull  him  from  his  seat,  yelling  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  self-satisfied  that  he  is  an  expert. 
The  horse  has  ten  times  more  sense  than  he,  and  has 


PllOPEB    MAKKEE     OF     DRIVING.  25 

learned  that  he  must  pull  against  the  bit  still  harder,  to 
stop  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  the  sensitive  bars, 
numbing  them  till  the  torture  is  unheeded.  After  a  while 
the  delicacy  of  feeling  is  gone,  large  calluses  are  formed, 
and  the  horse  becomes  perfectly  useless.  The  knife  is  re- 
sorted to,  the  "  bags"  are  cut  out.  A  brief  respite,  while  the 
ugly  wounds  are  healing  ;  then  again  to  be  tugged  at  and 
spoiled.  The  reins  should  be  handled  as  if  they  were  a  part 
of  the  animal  endowed  with  sensitiveness,  which  would  be 
destroyed  by  a  continuous  pull.  A  slight  motion  of  them 
shifting  the  bit  has  often  a  magical  effect  in  rousing  the 
horse,  when  whip  and  spur  would  fail.  This  mare  must 
be  driven  as  an  accomplished  reinswoman  would  drive 
her.  Light  must  be  the  touch,  and  no  continual  exertion 
of  strength  should  be  permitted.  Her  running  out,  the  past 
winter,  has  probably  restored  her  mouth  to  its  normal 
condition.  I  will  contrive  a  way  she  can  be  exercised 
without  danger  of  her  running  away,  till  she  will  no 
longer  want  to. 

I  notice  there  is  still  an  enlargement  of  the  knee  which 
must  be  reduced,  or  there  will  be  more  likelihood  of  her 
hitting  it.  Her  formation  is  such  that  she  ought  to  trot 
without  touching.  Like  grabbing  the  quarters,  it  may 
have  resulted  from  defective  shoeing  or  bad  driving. 
When  it  arises  from  natural  action,  it  is  one  of  the  worst 
defects  a  trotter  can  have,  and  is  generally  caused  by  a 
wrong  set  in  the  elbows.  We  cannot  change  structural 
growth,  but  we  can  modify  the  effects  of  it  by  a  little  dif- 
ference in  shoeing,  making  the  outside  of  the  shoe  a  trifle 
the  heaviest,  increasing  or  decreasing  the  whole  weight 
of  the  shoe,  cutting  away  part  of  the  iron,  and  rasping 
the  corresponding  part  of  the  hoof.  I  once  cured  an 
inveterate  "  knee  knocker"  by  making  him  wear  an  in- 
strument similar  to  what  hatters  use  to  stretch  their  hats. 
This  machine  was  confined  between  his  fore  legs  and 


26  HOBSE     PORTBAITUBE. 

against  his  breast,  by  a  strap  running  from  the  girth  to 
collar.  It  was  covered  and  padded  to  prevent  chafing, 
placed  on  him  when  he  commenced  walking,  in  the  spring, 
every  day  or  two,  lengthening  the  screw  which  gradually 
increased  the  distance  between  his  knees  as  he  travelled. 
Ho  was  kept  at  walking  exercise  for  a  couple  of  months, 
when  he  was  jogged  with  the  instrument  on,  till  he  finally 
acquired  a  different  "  way  of  going,"  and  never  hit  his 
knees  again  while  I  had  him.  There  are  as  many  differ- 
ent patterns  of  boots  to  obviate  this,  as  there  are  trainers 
or  harness  makers,  each  of  whom  claims  his  own  to  be  the 
best.  1  have  a  perfect  museum  of  all  the  varieties,  which 
I  will  show  you  at  some  leisure  time. 

PUPIL. — Here  is  a  black  thoroughbred. 

PEECEPTOB. — "  Not  a  word  an'  you  love  me,"  scholar.  Let 
me  look  at  him  without  a  word  or  gesture  to  interrupt. 
We  will  now  go  to  breakfast ;  when  we  return  I  must 
again  examine  him.  I  want  no  clue  to  his  qualities,  pedi- 
gree, performances;  till  I  have  a  good  look. 

PUPIL. — All  right.  I  was  afraid  I  was  tiring  you  with 
my  disquisitions.  I  feel  decidedly  like  doing  justice  to 
the  pattern  breakfast  we  will  get  at  this  snug  hostelrie. 
We  are  of  right  particular  about  providing  the  sweetest 
old  hay,  blades,  oats,  hominy,  bran,  carrots,  &c.,  to  keep 
our  horses  in  good  health,  and  should  certainly  be  as  care- 
ful of  ourselves. 


CHAPTEE   III. 

FEEDING  —  CAMP     LIFE  —  "FALCON"  —  THE    IDEAL     OF    A    MODEL 
ROADSTER. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  were  right  that  we  would  get  an  en- 
joyable breakfast.  It  is  a  favorite  meal  with  me,  as  my 
general  custom  is  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  in  the  open 
air  before  partaking  of  the  matutinal  entertainment.  The 
weather  has  to  be  severe,  indeed,  that  confines  me  in- 
doors, and  I  never  need  a  morning  cup  to  give  me  an 
appetite,  which  I  always  indulge  by  eating  plenty  of  the 
bounties  our  mother  Nature  has  so  plenteously  provided 
for  us.  It  is  a  difficult  task  to  get  a  horse  in  order  that 
is  a  delicate  feeder,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  nine 
in  ten  which  trouble  us  by  mincing  over  their  feed,  re- 
fusing to  eat  more  than  a  quart  or  so  at  a  time,  owe  this 
bad  habit  to  rearing.  Many  think  when  the  colt  is 
weaned  it  is  able  to  take  care  of  itself,  turning  it  out  in 
the  barn  yard  to  fight  for  every  mouthful  of  hay  it  gets, 
with  older  colts  and  all  of  the  horned  cattle  of  the  farm. 
It  manages  to  live  through  the  winter  and  that  is  all. 
Whe$  the  spring  conies,  it  is  turned  out  as  soon  as  the 
grass  shows  green.  There  is  less  sustenance  in  the  short 
watery  blades  than  even  the  straw  possessed,  which  had 
been  if  s  principal  food  through  the  winter.  The  stomach 
loses  its  tone,  and  ever  after  is  weak,  not  having  the 
muscular  strength  to  properly  prepare  the  food  in'  it,  or 
gastric  JT.GQI  sufficient  to  form  the  healthy  chyle  that 


28  HOKSEPOBTBAITUBE. 

produces  the  blood.  The  stomach  needs  exercise  to  £eep 
it  healthy  as  much  as  the  limbs.  Every  one  recognizes 
the  fact  that  unless  the  growing  animal  has  an  opportu- 
nity to  work  them  they  will  shrink  away,  but  think  that 
by  making  the  colt  "rough  it"  it  will  be  hardier  and  more 
serviceable  when  its  work  is  needed.  However,  the 
question  of  food  will  present  itself  as  your  horses  are  put 
in  train,  when  we  will  discuss  it  in  all  its  bearings. 

PUPIL. — No  doubt  it  will  be  as  important  as  anything 
there  is  for  me  to  learn. 

Here  is  a  cigar,  which  I  will  vouch  for  as  being  one  of 
the  best.  I  had  it  in  a  present  from  a  friend  who  delights  in 
keeping  the  best  specimens  of  the  Virginia  weed.  From 
long  habit  I  prefer  the  pipe.  The  same  kind  friend  al- 
ways keeps  me  supplied  with  the  most  fragrant  killi- 
kinick,  which  he  superintends  the  manufacture  of  him- 
self, selecting  the  very  finest  specimens  of  leaf,  and  is  as 
scrupulously  careful  in  the  process  of  making  and  flavor- 
ing, as  the  old  alchemists  were  in  the  preparation  of  the 
elixir  of  life.  If  he  were  still  in  business  I  would  be 
tempted  to  give  his  address,  so  that  all  genial  lovers  of 
the  tranquillizing  herb  would  know  where  to  get  their 
supplies. 

My  fondness  for  a  pipe  was  acquired  by  living  in  the 
woods  through  the  summer.  For  many  years  I  was  en- 
gaged in  surveying  the  mountainous  section  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where,'  twenty  years  ago,  there  were  unbroken 
forests  twenty  miles  in  extent.  For  weeks  we  would 
never  enter  a  house,  but  camp  where  night  overtook  us. 
The  camping-ground  was  generally  selected  by  the  side 
of  a  swift  running  brook  or  crystal  spring.  Our  supper 
ended,  of  speckled  trout  or  venison  broiled  on  a  stick, 
with,  plenty  of  strong  coffee  that  had  a  finer  aroma  than 
ever  Turcoman  drank  on  tapestried  divan.  The  bed  is 
made  of  the  fine  boughs  of  the  hemlock  ;  piled  so  high 


DELIGHTS     O3?     TOBACCO.  29 

that  there  is  a  downy  sensation  as  yon  sink  in  the  fra- 
grant herbage.  Now  pull  off  your  boots,  light  your  pipe 
and  enjoy  it.  The  stars  are  twinkling  overhead,  as  if  they 
had  come  nearer  earth,  looking  like  diamonds  amid  the 
sombre  branches  of  the  white  pine  towering  a  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  you.  The  camp  fires  throw  a  lurid 
light  on  the  rocky  banks  of  the  little  creek,  whose  waters 
are  lulling  you  with  their  gentle  cadence,  as  they  glide 
over  a  miniature  Niagara.  The  laurel  and  creeping  yew 
look  like  the  ivy  on  some  old  ruined  castle  wall.  Puff ! 
The  talk  of  Sydney  Smith  or  Sheridan  would  be  a  bore. 
You  see  visions  brighter,  fairer,  rosier,  than  ever  did  the 
inspired  author  of  the  Ancient  Mariner,  and  you  fall 
asleep  in  that  pure  air  to  dream  of  still  brighter  fanta- 
sies. No  doubt  that  smoking  injures  many  a  young  man 
confined  all  day  to  a  close  counting-room,  spending  his 
evenings  at  the  billiard  hall  or  club,  but  to  one  whose  life 
is  mostly  out  of  door,  with  exercise  enough  to  engender  a 
weary  feeling  at  night,  the  moderate  use  of  tobacco  is 
certainly  beneficial. 

After  carrying  a  knapsack  containing  thirty  or  forty 
pounds  of  provisions,  a  heavy  compass,  climbing  hills, 
that  rise  with  110  gentle  inclination,  twelve  or  fifteen  hun  * 
dred  feet  above  the  rapid,  rushing  river  at  their  base  ; 
stopping  at  noon  time  only  long  enough  to  eat  a  cold 
bite  ;  forcing  your  way  through  laurel  swamps  and  tama- 
rack thickets,  impenetrable  save  to  the  skulking  wolf  and 
thick-coated  bear,  then  the  tobacco  is  a  wonderful  solace, 
and  the  best  proof  that  it  works  no  injury  is  the  refreshed 
feeling  you  awake  with  next  morning,  conscious  that 
there  is  no  reasonable  task  you  could  not  perform. 

I  look  back  on  those  days  with  a  satisfaction  I  can 
hardly  express,  and  have  such  a  vivid  recollection  of 
every  hill,  intervale  and  stream,  that  without  the  help  of 
compass,  I  could,  after  the  lapse  of  twenty  years,  trnce  a 


30  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

line  run  afc  that  time,  and  find  every  corner  erected  or 
witness  tree  marked  on  thousands  of  .acres. 

PRECEPTOR. — Without  being  quite  so  enthusiastic  in  my 
devotion  to  tobacco  as  I  find  you  are,  I  enjoy  the  per- 
fumed breath  of  such  a  cigar  as  this.  Your  friend,  the 
donor,  who  cares  so  well  that  your  pouch  be  well  filled, 
has  my  hearty  thanks.  Your  camp  life  I  know  something 
about.  In  my  boyhood's  days  I  was  with  a  stable  of  race- 
horses ;  at  that  time  there  were  no  railroads  forming  a 
net  work  of  iron  all  over  the  country,  and  we  had  to 
travel  our  horses  from  race-course  to  race-course,  often 
long  journeys  of  hundreds  of  miles.  It  was  rare  that  we 
found  proper  accommodations  to  pass  the  night,  so  we  were 
prepared,  like  surveyors,  to  stop  where  our  convenience 
dictated,  or  when  the  horses  were  thought  to  have  walked 
far  enough.  A  pair  of  mules  was  harnessed  to  a  big 
wagon,  in  which  was  loaded  hay,  corn  blades,  oats,  corn, 
bran,  meal  for  bread,  bacon,  groceries,  a  hand-mill  to 
prepare  hominy,  with  all  the  necessary  appendages  to  a 
race  stable  ;  we  generally  selected  a  pine  forest  to  camp  in, 
and  the  first  business  of  us  boys,  was  to  gather  the  long 
pine  leaves  to  form  bedding  for  ourselves  and  horses. 
The  ground  would  be  thickly  covered  with  them,  so 
that  it  was  no  very  long  task.  The  cones  were  also  plen- 
tiful, and  of  them  we  made  fires,  heating  water  to  wash 
legs,  whenever  the  trainer  said  hot  water  should  be  ap- 
plied. The  horses  cleaned,  legs  rubbed,  we  prepared  our 
own  supper,  and  much  as  the  breakfast  we  have  just 
eaten  would  merit  praise,  the  recollection  of  the  fried 
bacon,  corn-bread,  and  coffee  drunk  out  of  tin  cups, 
conies  back  to  me  as  being  relishqd  as  well  as  the  delica- 
cies I  am  now  most  given  to  like.  It  was  a  much  more 
«v;  duous  task  for  the  trainer  of  that  day  to  keep  his  horsen 
ui  1  right  than  at  present.  A  rainy  night  and  we  had  no  India 
rubber  covers  to  keep  out  the  moisture,  but  we  used  thick 


THE     MODEL     EOADSTEE.  31 

cotton,  like  sail-cloth,  which,  answered  a  very  good  pur- 
pose. Our  horses  were  "  worked  "  so  hard  that  the  deli- 
cate ones  were  soon  got  rid  of ;  though  I  think,  with  the 
improved  handling  of  the  present  day,  many,  rejected  as 
worthless,  would  have  proved  very  different  animals,  and 
as  often  winners  as  those  whose  temper  enabled  them  to 
stand  the  severe  drilling  which  they  got.  My  cigar  is 
nearly  ended,  so  we  will  bring  this  conversation  to  an 
end.  I  am  anxious  to  have  a  good  look  at  that  black  fel- 
low that  so  took  my  eye  at  first  sight. 

PUPIL. — Here  we  are  back  to  the  stable  ;  one  of  my 
rules  is  never  to  smoke  in  the  stable,  or  suffer  any  one 
employed  there  to  do  so.  Visitors,  of  course,  have  to  be 
tolerated  in  the  bad  practice.  Boy,  bring  out  the  Falcon. 

PRECEPTOE. — All  right,  boy  ;  give  him  his  head  ;  I  want 
to  look  at  him  from  a  distance  first.  Turn  him  partly 
around.  Now  run  alongside  of  him  across  the  yard  ; 
come  a  little  faster  as  you  approach  me  ;  that  will  do. 

Well,  scholar,  I  told  you  that  sometime  I  would  give 
you  my  idea  of  model  roadster,  and  there  stands  nearer 
my  ideal,  than  any  I  have  yet  seen.  Before  going  into 
detail  of  his  form,  I  will  engage  to  make  a  trotter  of  him, 
no  matter  how  much  he  has  been  abused  in  his  training. 
I  make  this  promise  not  only  from  the  fine  action  ho 
exhibited  while  trotting  across  the  yard,  but  from  thc.t 
peculiar  head,  ear,  and  eye,  that  all  show  sense.  Horses 
have  just  as  many  degrees  of  sense  as  men,  and  Daniel 
Webster's  "dome  of  thought"  never  more  palpably 
showed  his  superiority  over  the  majority  of  mankind, 
than  does  this  horse  over  his  .compeers.  His  head  is 
large,  yet  you  would  not  find  enough  meat  on  it  to  furn- 
ish a  pet  kitten  with  his  supper.  Look  how  the  clearly 
cat  nostril  is  just  extended  enough  to  discern  the  edge  of 
the  pink  lining.  There  is  an  India  rubber  look  about  it 
that  shows  the  orifice  can  be  enlarged  so  as  to  admit  all 


32  HOUSE    POKTEAITUKE. 

the  air  necessary  to  feed  the  lungs.  The  jowl  appears  as 
if  carved,  widening  till  you  can  thrust  your  clenched 
hand  easily  between  the  sharp  jawbones.  There  is  a  cor- 
responding widening  of  the  forehead,  giving  plenty  of 
room  for  a  large  brain,  not  alone  the  source  of  wisdom  in 
a  horse,  but  the  centre  of  the  nerve  force,  that  wonderful 
something  which  we  cannot  explain,  but  which  as  surely 
enables  the  horse  to  do  "  great  deeds  of  great  renown," 
and  places  him  far  above  his  kind,  as  it  supplies  the  hero 
with  the  stimulus  that  renders  him  immortal.  The  clear 
hazel  eye,  lustrous  as  a  gem,  shows  his  sagacity  ;  and  the 
long  thin  ears  placed  just  as  I  would  have  them,  are  per- 
fection. How  daintily  the  head  is  set  on  the  neck  ;  you 
could  span  the  neck  if  it  were  detached  from  the  throttle, 
which  so  nearly  fills  up  the  space  between  the  jaws. 
Were  it  not  that  the  neck  is  so»  perfectly  formed,  it  would 
appear  too  long,  but  the  crest  rises  so  beautifully  that  it 
requires  the  length  to  give  it  such  a  graceful  curve,  while 
Iho  depth  it  displays,  where  joined  to  the  body,  shows  a 
union  of  strength  and  lightness,  admirable  in  its  just  pro- 
portions. The  breast  has  the  rabbit  formation,  usually 
Meen  in  the  first-class  race-horse.  The  shoulder  blade 
ises  well  to  the  top  of  the  wither,  is  broad,  sloping,  and 
falls  back  into  the  sway,  just  as  it  ought  to,  and  the  point 
of  it  is  well  thrown  forward,  so  that  the  humerus  or  upper 
bone  of  the  leg  is  oblique.  The  elbow  is  properly  placed, 
neither  tied  in  or  standing  away  from  the  chest ;  this  is 
what  brings  the  fore  legs  so  truly  under  him.  As  you 
stand  in  front  of  them,  they  are  as  true  as  a  line,  slightly 
converging  to  bring  the  feet  squarely  under  the  body, 
and  the  toes  straight.  The  arm  is  long,  the  knee  broad 
and  strong,  with  the  bony  projection  behind  well  devel- 
oped. The  canon  is  short,  the  ligaments  large,  which 
gives  the  leg  the  flatness  so  much  sought  after.  The  fet- 
lock joint  is  round,  as  if  turned  in  a  lathe,  while  the 


DESCRIPTION    or    "FALCON."  33 

pastern  is  long,  springy  and  oblique,  so  as  to  take  the 
jar  off  the  delicate  bones  below,  without  dropping  enough 
to  show  any  signs  of  weakness.  There  is  no  danger  of 
ring  bones  or  navicular  disease  in  that  formation.  The 
feet  are  of  a  fair  size,  with  good  heels,  and  horn  that  will 
never  shell  if  the  nail  is  placed  properly.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  truth  in  the  old  adage,  of  "  no  foot,  no  horse  :  " 
these  are  not  only  naturally  good,  but  I  must  congratu- 
late you  on  having  kept  them  so  by  judicious  care. 

This  horse  is  very  deep  through  the  heart.  When  I 
first  saw  him  I  should  not  have  judged  him  to  be  over  fif- 
teen hands  two  inches  at  the  outside.  When  you  stand 
beside  him,  you  are  satisfied  that  sixteen  hands  is,  if  any- 
thing, below  his  measurement.  The  barrel  swells  out, 
giving  a  good  length  of  ribs,  which  are  wide  and  have  the 
right  curvature.  The  back  and  loin  are  remarkably  strong. 
The  arch  in  the  back  is  so  high  that  it  does  not  look  as 
well  as  if  a  little  lower,  but  there  is  a  mountain  of  strength 
there  when  connected  with  the  broad  loin,  braced  with 
fillets  as  thick  as  your  arm.  The  hip  is  long  with  slope 
enough.  Were  it  more  level,  it  would  give  him  a  jauntier 
air,  but  he  would  not  be  as  likely  to  trot  so  well.  The 
stifles  are  low,  and  placed  the  requisite  distance  apart  to 
play  freely,  without  being  interfered  with  by  the  abdomen. 
The  hock  is  large  and  so  clean  that  you  can  trace  the  ar- 
ticulation of  the  joint.  The  great  width  of  the  gaskin 
arises  from  the  bone,  forming  the  point  of  the  hock  or 
oscalcis,  being  so  long  that  the  tendon  comes  up  a  long 
way  before  it  is  covered  by  the  muscles.  What  was  said 
about  the  canon  of  the  fore" leg  will  be  appropriate  to  de- 
scribe the  hind,  only  the  flatness  is  more  apparent.  The 
angles,  from  the  hip  to  the  foot,  are  just  what  they  ought 
to  be  to  work  the  propelling  hind  legs  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. His  muscularity  is  just  what  I  fancy,  long,  lean  and 
dry  ;  they  will  come  as  near  giving  you  an  idea  of  perpe- 


34  HOUSE    POBTBAITUKE. 

tual  motion,  as  is  in  the  power  of  any  animal  to  display. 
If  lie  was  only  a  little  fuller  in  the  quarters,  I  believe  I 
would  like  him  a  very  little  better,  but  as  they  are  heavy 
enough,  any  thing  more  would  give  him  a  cloddy  appear- 
ance, that  would  take  away  from  his  high  quality.  His 
coat  is  another  mark  of  his  high  breeding ;  that  and  his 
hoofs  would  convince  any  discriminating  observer,  that  his 
claim  to  blood  was  well  founded.  He  is,  not  properly 
black,  but  dark  brown,  with  tan-colored  flank  and  muzzle ; 
this  I  prefer  to  a  horse  that  is  all  black.  His  tail  is  mag- 
nificent, "  fit  for  a  Pacha's  standard,"  as  Willis  once  re- 
marked of  Lady  Suffolk's,  but  fitter  to  ornament  such  an 
animal  as  we  are  looking  at.  Some  would  call  him  too 
short  in  the  body,  but  I  think,  if  measured,  you  would 
find  it  equal  to  his  height — the  best  proportion  in  my 
opinion,  to  unite  speed,  bottom,  and  that  compactness  of 
form,  so  essential  in  a  procreating  animal,  more  especially 
the  male  parent. 

I  have,  in  this  cursory  manner,  run  over  the  Falcon's 
chief  points.  Many,  of  course,  would  differ  with  me  as  to 
what  conjunction  of  them  forms  the  best  horse  ;  but  my 
experience  has  led  me  to  think  a  horse  for  fast  driving  on 
the  road  and  track,  able  to  keep  going,  up  hill  and  down, 
or  repeat  his  heats  all  day,  must  approximate  the  form  I 
have  just  sketched. 

PUPIL. — You  cannot  conceive  the  pleasure  you  have 
given  me,  listening  to  the  encomiums  you  have  passed  on 
the  animal  that  I  love.  Yes,  love  is  none  too  strong  a 
term  to  express  my  feelings  for  that  horse.  After  family 
and  friends,  he  has  the  next  place  in  my  affections  ;  and 
in  order  that  you  may  understand  how  they  became  so 
strong,  I  will  have  to  acquaint  you  with  part  of  our — at 
least,  to  ourselves — eventful  history. 

His  place  of  nativity  was  Central  Ohio,  a  fine  undulat- 
ing country,  which  for  fine  herbage  nearly  equals  the  blue 


"FALCON'S"   EXPERIENCES.  35 

grass  region  of  Kentucky.  His  parentage  is  unexception- 
able ;  his  sire  being  Camden,  by  Shark,  his  dam  a 
daughter  of  the  northern  champion,  Postboy,  thought,  un- 
til his  defeat  by  John  Bascombe,  to  be  the  best  horse  of 
his  day.  He  grew  up  a  fine  colt,  taking  the  premiums  at 
the  local  fairs,  until  three  years  old,  when  he  was  taken 
West  by  a  boy  who  had  no  more  knowledge  of  condition, 
than  if  he  had  never  seen  a  horse.  He  ran  him  all  sorts 
of  races,  from  a  quarter  dash  to  two  mile  heats.  As  a 
specimen  of  the  usage  he  got,  I  will  relate  the  following 
story,  which  I  was  assured  was  strictly  true.  The  boy 
having  got  in  debt,  an  attachment  was  served  on  the  colt, 
and  he  was  locked  up  by  the  Sheriff  in  a  log  stable,  where 
he  was  confined  for  three  weeks.  There  were  some  races 
at  a  little  town  not  very  far  off,  and  his  owner  managed 
to  get  him  the  day  before  the  two  mile  heat  race  was  to 
be  run.  He  traveled  him  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  race- 
course, tying  him  to  a  tree  ;  during  the  night  a  violent 
thunderstorm  gave  him  a  thorough  wetting.  He  had 
no  rider,  and  in  order  to  come  as  near  the  conventional 
scale  as  possible,  rode  him  himself  without  a  saddle  ;  still 
he  had  to  carry  a  hundred  and  thirty  pounds — a  pretty 
severe  weight  for  a  four  year  old,  that  for  preparation  had 
been  a  strict  prisoner  for  weeks.  He  made  a  very  good 
race,  and  it  was  the  opinion  of  most  who  saw  it,  that  had 
he  been  judiciously  ridden,  he  would  have  been  the  victor 
as  it  was.  That  fall,  I  saw  him  on  the  occidental  side  of 
the  Father  of  Waters,  and  was  as  much  struck  with  him  at 
first  sight  as  you,  thinking  him  the  best  formed  animal  I 
ever  saw.  I  had  long  been  of  the  opinion  that  just  such 
a  thoroughbred  was  the  kind  to  make  a  number  one  trot- 
ter ;  but  he  had  changed  owners,  and  I  did  not  succeed 
in  getting  him  till  the  spring  of  another  year.  At  that  time 
I  was  engaged  in  land  speculations,  selecting  government 
lands  in  Iowa  and  Missouri,  and  being  successful  in  mak- 


36  HORSE    POKTRAITUEE. 

ing  good  locations,  that  I  could  sell  readily  at  a  greatly 
advanced  price,  my  fancy  for  horses  was  only  indulged  as 
a  pleasant  interlude  to  the  excitement  of  the  land  gam- 
bling. When  I  bought  him  I  placed  him  in  the  hands  of 
a  trainer,  who  was  reported  to  be  the  best  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  It  was  no  trouble  to  break  him  to  harness. 
On  the  first  trial  he  went  round  the  track  hitched  to  a 
sulkey,  on  a  trot  that  was  as  easy  as  the  flight  of  a  swal- 
low. There  was  not  much  bending  of  the  knee,  and  his 
action  was  so  different  from  the  spluttering  little  Black- 
hawks  and  Morgans — then  all  the  rage  in  that  section  of 
the  country — that  the  lookers-on  ridiculed  the  idea  of  his 
ever  making  a  fast  trotter.  I  did  not  see  him  for  several 
months,  having  been  on  an  extended  tour  "land  hunt- 
ing." That  fall  he  trotted  at  a  State  Fair,  in  3: 05  ;  which 
was  certainly  as  fast,  for  the  time  in  training,  as  I  ex- 
pected in  my  most  sanguine  moments,  but  no  one  else 
thought  he  would  trot  fast. 

In  the  winter,  he  ran  in  a  loose  box.  "When  spring 
time  came,  and  the  prairie  roads  got  dry  and  smooth,  I 
commenced  driving  him  on  them.  He  completely  carried 
me  away  in  a  double  sense.  I  thought  I  had  owned  and 
driven  road  horses  very  nearly  as  good  as  could  be  found, 
but  I  discovered  he  was  so  much  superior  to  the  best  of 
them,  that  I  took  no  pleasure  in  driving  any  other. 
Seventy  miles  a  day  was  play  to  him,  and  he  literally  re- 
quired no  driving;  a  word  would  restrain  him  when  most 
anxious  to  go.  He  never  saw  anything  to  shy  at,  but 
went  along  as  straight  as  a  line.  His  excellencies  were 
so  manifold,  that  were  I  to  recapitulate  them,  it  would  be 
tedious.  Unluckily,  I  again  let  his  former  trainer  have 
him.  The  first  time  he  went  on  the  track,  he  trotted 
easily  two  miles  in  six  minutes.  The  same  day  I  matched 
him  against  a  Blackhawk  stallion  for  a  couple  of  thou- 
sands, p.  p.  The  match  made  a  great  deal  of  talk  and 


-     "FALCON'S"    HISTORY.  37 

excitement  in  the  country,  and  my  man  was  so  anxious  to 
have  him  trot  fast  all  at  once,  that  he  ventured  to  whip 
him  to  increase  his  speed.  This  treatment  his  high  spirit 
would  not  brook,  and  then  began  the  contest  between 
them,  but  the  biped's  arms  was  no  match  for  the  quadru- 
ped's strength  of  jaw,  and  when  the  day  of  the  trot  carae 
he  was  utterly  unable  to  hold  him.  I  had  not  seen  him 
from  the  day  the  race  was  made  till  the  one  prior  to  it. 
It  was  too  late  then,  even  to  suggest  anything,  so  he  was 
driven  in  a  long  shanked  curb-bit  that  had  purchase 
enough  to  break  the  jaw  of  a  mule.  He  was  easily  beaten. 
I  cared  not  a  straw  for  the  money  lost,  but  it  was  bitter 
to  hear  the  remarks  : — "  I  told  you  it  wan't  no  use  trying 
to  make  a  trotter  of  a  race-horse,  they  aint  fit  for  nothing 
only  to  put  a  little  boy  on  their  backs  and  run  over  a 
smooth  path,"  with  hundreds  still  more  ill-natured.  I 
sent  him  home,  and  housed  him  again  in  his  roomy  box. 
Before  the  frost  went  out  I  started  with  him  for  Chicago. 
He  was  just  as  pleasant  as  ever,  and  I  greatly  enjoyed 
driving  him  the  trip.  Again  I  was  unlucky  in  putting 
him  in  the  hands  of  a  man  who  did  not  understand  the 
nervous  organization  of  the  descendant  of  a  long  line  of 
illustrious  ancestry.  He  hit  him  sharply  with  the  whip 
when  driving  him  down  the  road  that  follows  the  shore 
of  the  beautiful  lake,  which  the  Falcon  resented  by  run- 
ning away.  The  bit  and  reins  were  of  no  avail  to  stop 
him,  but  on  he  sped.  The  prairie  was  soon  passed,  and 
the  driver  thought  of  throwing  himself  out  of  the 
skeleton-wagon  as  they  rushed  through  the  timber.  At  last 
from  sheer  exhaustion  he  was  forced  to  give  up  his  pull, 
when  a  few  soothing  words  was  sufficient  to  stop  him. 
The  fright,  however,  deterred  the  man  from  getting  behind 
the  horse  again,  and  the  only  exercise  he  got  was  from 
the  son  of  the  trainer  riding  him  behind  the  wagon  when 
his  father  was  driving.  I  brought  him  home,  thinking  it 


38  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

was  written  in  the  book  of  fate,  that  the  prophecies  of 
those  who  were  always  ready  with  their  "I  told  you  so/' 
were  to  be  fulfilled.  That  season  the  great  panic  over- 
whelmed the  West,  leaving  thousands,  who  had  thought 
themselves  well  off,  entirely  penniless  ;  it  did  not  take 
long  for  me  to  realize  that  I  was  in  that  poor  and  desti- 
tute condition,  for  after  selling  every  farm  and  acre  of 
land  I  possessed,  I  was  still  five  thousand  dollars  behind 
hand.  The  house  where  I  lived,  and  which  cost  me  near- 
ly ten  thousand  dollars,  one  of  my  creditors  took  as  a 
great  favor  to  me  at  two  thousand.  I  built  a  "  shanty  " 
on  some  land  belonging  to  a  Mend  of  mine,  moving  thereon 
my  family,  this  horse,  and  two  of  his  colts.  The  land 
was  entirely  unimproved,  but  was  beautifully  situated, 
and  laid  so  that  very  little  expense  built  a  good  training 
track.  To  attempt  training  horses  with  the  little  knowl- 
edge I  had  of  it,  was,  to  say  the  least,  rather  presumj  i- 
tuous  ;  but  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,  and  if  my  favorite 
ever  made  a  mark  on  the  trotting  turf,  this  was  his  only 
chance  for  even  a  poor  education  in  that  useful  branch  of 
equine  accomplishments.  He  kept  me  in  good  cheer  by 
improving  so  rapidly  under  my  teachings,  that  those  who 
had  denied  his  having  the  least  chance  to  make  a  fast 
one,  now  acknowledged  the  possibility  of  his  becoming 
such. 

I  trotted  him  a  ten  mile  race  which  he  won  easily.  The 
stake  money  he  had  earned  by  his  services  in  the  stud 
before  he  left  home,  so  I  was  doubly  his  debtor.  The 
following  season  he  had  more  business  than  he  could  do 
from  March  till  September ;  still  after  three  weeks'  pre- 
paration I  trotted  him  a  race  of  heats  of  five  miles.  The 
first  he  lost  by  half  a  length  in  14:21 ;  and  lost  it  entirely 
from  bad  driving  on  my  part,  for  in  place  of  letting  him 
go  along  as  he  wanted,  I  pulled  him  back,  which  irritated 
him  so  that  he  worked  unkindly  the  whole  of  the  heat. 


"FALCON'S"   PERFORMANCES.          39 

The  second  lie  won  in  14:33,  and  the  third  his  antagonist 
gave  out,  dead  beat  on  the  thirteenth  mile,  but  the  slowest 
he  could  be  made  to  go  the  last  mile  was  3 :20,  making 
the  heat  in  15 :11.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  race  it  was  a 
difficult  job  for  two  men  to  hold  him  till  he  was  unhar- 
nessed from  the  sulky,  not  the  least  distress  or  even  leg 
weariness  being  perceivable.  The  next  day  I  started 
home  with  him  ;  he  bowled  along  the  smooth  road  in 
such  high  spirits,  that  it  appeared  as  if  he  was  elated  at 
the  victory  he  had  won,  and  was  determined  that  no  one 
should  think  he  had  anything  but  an  easy  task,  by  hiding 
the  soreness  he  certainly  must  feel. 

Never  having  seen  him  exhibit  any  signs  of  fatigue,  I 
thought  I  would  give  him  a  trial,  and  for  this  purpose 
kept  him  to  work  a  couple  of  weeks  longer.  I  then  drove 
him  fifteen  miles  in  44:05,  and  on  pulling  him  up,  not  a 
leg  trembled,  or  even  a  long  inspiration  betokened  the 
least  distress.  I  then  concluded  to  trot  him  twenty  miles 
in  an  hour,  which  I  am  positive  would  be  an  easy  task  for 
him  to  perform,  but  have  now  changed  my  mind,  and 
hope  to  .see  him  doing  his  mile  "  low  down  in  the  twen- 
ties," which  I  fondly  think  him  capable  of,  from  the 
bursts  of  speed  he  has  often  surprised  me  with.  I  shall 
ask  as  the  greatest  favor  you  can  do  me,  that  in  lieu  of 
telling  me  how  to  drive,  you  will  chaperon  him  yourself  ; 
I  know  he  will  please  you  when  once  acquainted.  As  you 
remarked  about  the.magnetic  fluid  traveling  from  driver 
to  horse,  this  fellow  shows  it  more  than  any  I  ever  dealt 
with.  If  I  got  into  the  wagon  ill-natured,  he  was  sure  to 
be  cross  too.  At  other  times,  on  a  fine  morning  like  this, 
on  arriving  at  the  top  of  a  hill,  he  would  stop  without 
any  admonition  from  me  ;  I  know  he  enjoys  beautiful 
scenery  as  well  as  I  do.  I  have  known  him  stop  on  a 
bluff  overlooking  the  Mississippi — his  eye  would  follow 


40  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

the  course  of  the  river  for  a  while,  but  would  finally  rest 
where  water,  prairie  and  timber  formed  a  harmonious 
picture  that  would  have  delighted  an  artist.  There  was 
no  mistaking  the  look,  or  the  nod  of  satisfaction  he  in- 
variably gave,  as  he  sprang  off  in  the  brisk  trot  to  make 
amends  for  the  lost  time.  I  told  you  that  next  to  family 
and  friends  I  thought  more  of  him  than  aught  else.  It 
may  be  foolish,  weak  and  wicked,  thus  to  speak  of  an  ani- 
mal, rating  him  above,  and  holding  a  place  in  my  affec- 
tions before  many  created  in  the  image  of  the  Great  Archi- 
tect, ;  yet  when  I  recount  what  he  has  done  for  me,  you, 
at  least,  will  understand  the  feelings  that  prompt  me. 
From  penury  and  a  dark  prospect,  with  a  helpless  family 
depending  on  me  as  their  only  means  of  support,  he 
has  raised  me  to  comparative  affluence.  From  a  load 
of  debt  that  would  have  bound  me  as  with  a  three-fold 
cord  in  durance,  that  the  results  of  even  successful 
labor  would  have  been  unable  for  a  long  series  of  years 
to  lighten,  he  has  freed  me.  For  a  pleasant  home,  where 
the  birds  sing  in  the  grand  old  oaks,  where  the  bee  sips 
the  honey  from  the  sweet  scented  cherry  and  the  flower- 
ing fragrant  crab-apple  ;  where  the  sun  shines  so  brightly 
in  the  windows  of  a  morning,  and  gilds  with  refulgent 
glory  the  opposite  bluffs  in  the  evening  ;  where  the  placid 
river  runs  so  silently  to  the  sea,  with  wooded  islands  on 
its  bosom,  that  look  like  floating  fairy  gardens  ;  where 
colts  are  gamboling  in  the  green  fields,  where  peace,  con- 
tentment and  happiness  dwell — for  all  this  I  am  indebted 
to  him.  Would  it  add  to  his  happiness  never  to  have  a 
saddle  or  harness  on  his  back,  he  should  never  wear  the 
bonds  of  servitude  again  ;  but  active  life  is  what  he  enjoys. 
No  matter  how  large  a  box  you  confine  him  in,  he  frets 
like  the  prisoner  of  Chillon,  and  would  soon  wear  even  a 
stone  floor  in  his  uneasiness.  He  must  acquire  more  than 


"FA  LOOK'S"     POSTERITY.  41 

a  local  celebrity,  and  leave  his  posterity  a  record  that  will 
compare  with  the  best,  so  that  others  shall  know  his  great 
excellence  as  well  as  myself.  This  is  what  I  have  marked 
for  him  to  do.  For  this  I  have  studied,  and  for  this  I 
have  come  to  perfect  myself  in  the  art,  of  which  you  are 
conceded  a  master. 


CHAPTEE    IV. 

TEACHING     TO      TROT — BOLTERS — WINTERING    HORSES — BREEDING 
FARMS,   ETC. 

PRECEPTOR — I  can  well  appreciate  the  feeling  you  have 
for  that  horse,  and  in  place  of  considering-  it  mawkish 
sentimentality,  honor  you  for  your  gratitude  to  him,  who 
has  done  so  much  to  retrieve  your  bad  fortune. 

You  are  also  worthy  of  credit  for  the  pertinacity  with 
which  you  stuck  to  him,  determined  that  he  should  make 
a  trotter.  Patience  is  everything  in  our  profession.  Weeks, 
months,  even  years  are  necessary  to  make  the  most  pro- 
mising proficient  in  this  partly  acquired  gait.  The  swift 
gallop  of  the  race-horse  is  greatly  improved  by  training. 
Perhaps  if  they  were  run  without  any  weight  on  them, 
nature  would  be  the  only  teacher  they  would  require,  but 
the  action  that  is  necessary  to  carry  the  weight  easily  is 
the  result  of  practice.  The  swiftest  natural  trot  any  ani- 
mal ever  possessed  is  slow,  indeed,  compared  with  the 
speed  exhibited  by  Dexter  or  Lady  Thome.  If  these  two 
"Topsawyers"  had  never  been  subjected  to  a  thorough 
training,  their  great  speed  would  never  have  been  known. 
In  fact,  they  might  have  passed  their  lives  without  either 
being  credited  as  even  good  travelers,  by  being  placed  in 
a  position  that  would  have  rendered  fast  traveling  un- 
necessary. 

When  a  particular  family  of  horses  have  become  cele- 
brated for  great  trotting  powers,  almost  every  colt  belong- 


BACE     COLTS     IN     TRAIN.  43 

ing  to  it  is  placed  in  a  position  to  show  whether  they 
have  this  family  characteristic.  Men  pay  long  prices  for 
Hambletonian,  Membrino  or  Pilot  colts  that  have  never 
felt  the  weight  of  harness,  because  many  of  their  relations 
have  proved  fast,  and  they  are  generally  well  repaid  for 
their  investment  by  subjecting  them  to  long  and  skillful 
training.  My  predilections  for  the  thorough-bred  may 
have  arisen  from  sleeping  with  them  when  a  boy.  My 
heart  would  nearly  break  when  one  of  our  stable  was 
beaten,  or  burst  with  joy  when  any  were  victorious. 
These  remembrances  may  bias  my  judgment,  but  I  have 
often  thought  that,  were  the  race  colts  placed  in  train  as 
trotters,  we  would  see  as  many  of  them  first  class  per- 
formers as  any  of  the  strains  I  have  just  mentioned. 
Both  the  Hambletonians  and  Membrinos  had  their  origin 
in  the  purest  streams  of  the  turf  blood. 

The  admixture  of  Bellfounder,  and  other  coarse  strains, 
cannot  have  given  them  any  additional  qualities  for  rapid 
locomotion  at  a  trotting  gait,  while,  if  the  little  black 
pacing  pony,  Pilot,  had  been  confined  to  mares  of  his 
own  degree,  we  would  never  have  seen  one  fit  for  a 
butcher's  cart  or  baker's  wagon.  But  this  is  a  subject  we 
must  take  some  rainy  afternoon  to  discuss  in  all  its  rami- 
fications, as  it  is  one  of  great  weight  to  you,  expecting  to 
breed  as  well  as  train  trotters. 

PUPIL.  —  You  again  please  me  exceedingly,  as  I  am 
well  convinced  that  the  better  bred  the  trotter  is,"  the 
more  likely  he  is  to  perform  great  feats,  and  argue  it  so 
much  that  I  am  considered  a  monomaniac  on  that  subject. 
There  is  no  part  of  the  business  I  am  so  taken  up  with  as 
breeding  and  rearing  the  colts.  The  interest  never  flags 
with  me  for  a  moment,  from  the  time  the  young  thing 
first  gleefully  capers  round  his  mother  till  it  is  old  enough 
to  attract  the  attention  of  a  purchaser  ;  even  then  the 
feeling  of  affection  will  follow,  and  I  will  rejoice  in 


HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

its  well  doings  as  much  as  if  still  the  owner.  I  have  only 
one  more  aged  animal  to  show  you,  and  he  is  a  grandson 
of  the  little  French  pacer  you  were  just  speaking  of,  being 
by  Pilot,  Jr.,  his  dam  a  well  bred  mare.  These  four  speci- 
mens of  bad  management,  will  be,  a  sufficient  test  of 
your  skill  in  teaching,  and  my  aptitude  in  learning,  as  they 
have  been  as  unfortunate  in  their  early  tutorage  as  gen- 
erally falls  to  the  lot  of  their  species.  With  the  young 
things  we  will  at  least  have  a  clean  page  to  commence  on, 
which  will  be  much  pleasanter  than  if  we  had  to  use 
pumice  stone  and  India  rubber,  before  we  could  make  a 
mark. 

This  grey  horse  we  call  Clipper,  and  he  was  considered 
as  promising  a  colt  as  his  sire  ever  got.  His  dam  had 
produced  a  trotter  that  had  gone  exceedingly  well,  under 
the  circumstances,  and  much  was  expected  from  the  scion 
of  a  horse  that  boasted  of  Native  American,  John  Mor- 
gan, Bull  Bun,  and  plenty  of  other  good  ones.. 

In  his  three  year  old  form  he  gave  further  proof  of  his 
possessing  the  virtues  of  his  line,  by  winning  a  three  year 
old  stake  in  a  country  where  young  trotters  are  as  plenti- 
ful as  blackberries  in  their  season.  When  four  years  old, 
his  trainer,  a  black  fellow,  owned  by  this  horse's  breeder, 
gave  him  an  unmerciful  flagellation,  which  knocked  all 
the  trot  out  of  him.  He  took  such  a  hatred  to  the  track, 
that  he  could  not  be  driven  round  it,  and  additional 
threshings  confirmed  him  in  this  dislike,  so  that  he  had 
to  be  thrown  up. 

He  was  purchased  afterwards  by  a  gentleman,  for  his 
services  in  breeding,  and  when  not  in  this  employment, 
he  drove  him  on  the  road.  This  gentleman,  who  had  a 
strong  desire  to  improve  the  stock  of  the  section  in 
which  he  lived,  had  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money 
to  effect  that  object. 

He  first  got  a  stallion,  with  a  pedigree  and  form  as  good 


THE     STALIION     CLIPPEE.  45 

as  could  be  found  ;  and  in  order  also  to  serve  those  who 
wanted  a  trotting  strain  to  breed  from,  he  selected  Clipper. 
The  blood  Clipper  drew  from  the  veins  of  his  dam  and 
half-bred  sire,  gave  him  quite  a  share  of  that  which  would 
be  so  great  an  advantage  to  the  cold  blood  mares,  about 
the  only  kind  kept  in  that  region.  The  owner  endured  the 
irritation  consequent  on  owning  two  public  stallions  for 
several  seasons,  thinking  that  when  the  progeny  began  to 
display  their  good  qualities,  it  would  stop  the  abuse  that 
was  so  plentifully  heaped  on  his  pets,  but  it  increased. 
Fifty  good  colts  would  be  passed  without  a  word  of  com- 
mendation, while  a  medium  or  poor  one  would  be  held  up 
as  a  specimen  of  the  horse's  breeding. 

He  became  utterly  disgusted  at  the  stock  not  being 
appreciated,  made  a  present  of  the  thoroughbred  to  a 
friend,  and  selling  the  Clipper  for  what  we  both  thought 
was  but  a  quarter  of  his  value.  He  is  as  gentle  as  a  horse 
can  be  on  the  road,  a  child  driving  him  without  the  least 
danger,  but  on  the  track  is  quite  a  different  animal.  A 
sharp  tone  or  flourish  of  the  whip  and  away  he  goes  for 
the  fence.  At  times  he  will  trot  fast,  but  on  making  a 
break,  will  rush  for  the  same  place  or  jump  frantically  in 
the  air,  expecting  a  repetition  of  the  beatings  he  has  not 
yet  forgotten.  You  will  also  perceive  that  he  is  as  much 
out  of  condition  as  a  horse  can  well  be;  every  leg  swollen; 
in  the  right  hind  foot  a  bad  case  of  thrush,  with  a  bowed 
sinew  on  the  near  fore  leg  that  looks  like  the  premonitory 
symptoms  of  a  break  down;  this,  however,  was  occasioned 
by  a  blow,  so  that  it  may  not  be  as  dangerous  a$  it  ap- 
pears. ^ 

PEECEPTOB. — Had  I  not  my  eye; full  of  the  Falcon's 
faultless  symmetry  of  form,  I  would  have  greatly  admired 
the  proportions  of  this  one,  though  he  shows  but  very 
little  signs  of  his  grand  sire  the  "  Canuck  ;"  another  proof 
of  the  superiority  of  racing  blood.  The  five-eighths  or 

3 


46  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

three-quarters  flowing  in  this  horse's  veins  has  completely 
obliterated  the  outward  appearance  of  the  remaining  frac- 
tional part,  and  were  this  horse  bred  to  fine  mares,  in  all 
probability  his  colts  would  be  still  farther  from  showing- 
it  in  acts  and  appearance.  Were  I  to  open  a  breeding 
farm  for  the  purpose  of  rearing  trotters,  expecting  to  sell 
my  colts  at  an  early  age,  I  would  not  object  to  mixing  a 
good  deal  of  French  blood  with  the  purer  stream.  In 
my  opinion  the  colts  would  come  to  their  trotting  gait 
earlier.  They  would  bend  the  knee  with  less  teaching. 
We  have  an  exemplification  of  that  in  the  youiigf  trotters 
Bruno  and  Brunette.  That  they  would  eventually  prove 
as  good  horses,  I  have  no  idea. 

As  to  the  case  in  hand, — this  fellow's  bolting, — i't  is  one 
of  the  most  dangerous  tricks  a  horse  can  have,  and  I 
would  not  knowingly  become  the  owner  of  one  that  had 
acquired  it.  Your  request  for  me  to  drive  the  Falcon  I 
would  grant  with  the  greatest  of  pleasure,  as  I  would 
take  delight  in  driving  him,  but  in  order  that  you,  as 
well  as  your  horses,  may  be  acquiring  useful  information, 
it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  do  the  tooling  yourself. 
Should  there  be  no  nerves  of  sense  in  your  arms,  telling 
you  when  to  pull  and  when  to  ease  away,  I  will  give  up 
the  task  ere  the  commencement  of  teaching  you  to  drive. 
That  you  do  possess  this  quality  I  have  no  doubt,  as 
without  it,  you  never  could  have  met  with  the  success 
you  have  already  attained.  Had  you  asked  me  to  drive 
this  bolter,  I  should  have  emphatically  answered  no,  on 
my  own  account,  and  can  only  say  that  you  will  be  lucky 
if  you  do  not  get  hurt.  The  best  advice  I  can  give,  is, 
that  when  you  see  he  is  determined  to  bolt,  in  lieu  of 
trying  to  keep  him  on  the  track,  pull  him  directly  for  the 
fence.  If  he  keeps  on  he  had  better  hit  it  with  his  head 
than  the  wheel.  I  have  cured  horses  of  shying  with  a 
contrivance  tliat  may  possibly  be  of  some  benefit  to  him, 


CUBE     FOE     BOLTING.  47 

though  I  will  have  no  faith  in  it  till  tried.  For  the  blind 
or  winker  of  the  bridle  have  a  sheet  of  Russia  iron  cut  a 
little  larger  than  the  ordinary  sized  blind,  and  perfora- 
ted with  numerous  small  holes.  The  philosophy  of  the 
thing  is  that  the  horse  sees  so  many  bug-a-boos  that  he  is 
confused,  and  results  much  the  same  as  driving  him  in 
the  crowded  streets  of  a  city,  where  so  Inuch  strikes  the 
eye  that  he  has  no  time  to  be  afraid  of  what  is  on  one 
side,  for  the  many  objects  on  the  other  are  just  as  fearful, 
compelling  him  to  go  straight  along.  .  This  may  multiply 
the  fences  to  the  Clipper,  so  that  unless  he  takes  a  fancy 
for  a  steeple  chase  he  may  remain  on  the  track.  He  will 
naturally  associate  the  whip  and  bolting  together,  so  we 
will  discard  it  when  driving  him  for  a  while.  His  going 
so  frantically  in  the  air,  is  from  having  his  mouth  so  torn 
to  pieces,  and  jerked  when  in  a  break.  By  letting  him 
run  till  he  will  regain  his  trot  of  himself,  or  at  least  by  a 
little  motion  of  the  bit  pulling  his  head  a  little  on  one 
side,  or  a  slight  shake  similar  to  what  you  would  use  to 
hook  a  trout,  will  in  due  course  of  time  teach  him.  a  better 
system  of  breaking.  It  is  true  this  will  increase  the  dan- 
ger should  he  bolt,  the  run  being  speedier  than  the  trot. 
In  the  velocity  of  a  moving  body  impinged  on  a  heavy  sta- 
tionary one,  and  brought  to  quiescent  state,  everything 
movable  will  have  acquired  the  momentum  of  the  moving 
body,  and  will  go  till  arrested  by  the  laws  of  gravitation, 
or  brought  up  with  a  round  turn,  coming  down  a  purler, 
as  our  English  friend  w.ould  say,  or  a  sockdolager,  as  we 
would.  He  will  not  be  likely,  however,  to  leave  the  track 
running  along  at  his  ease,  with  the  driver  talking  to  him 
as  he  ought  to.  Should  you  pull  and  frighten  him,  the 
choking  sensation  would  be  an  additional  inducement  for 
him  to  leave.  His  condition  is  certainly  very  bad,  and  it 
will  be  some  time  ere  he  can  be  put  to  work  with  the  bal- 
ance. I  never  believe  in  giving  a  well  horse  medicine,  as  I 


48  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

think  all  that  is  claimed  to  be  gained  by  a  course  of  physic, 
can  be  got  at  safer  to  the  animal  and  easier  to  ourselves, 
than  by  balling  and  drenching ;  but  in  the  case  some 
aperient  or  alterative  will  be  required.  Your  horses  are 
just  in  the  order  I  would  like  to  have  them  to  commence 
work,  fat,  but  not  overloaded  with  flesh.  They  show 
they  have  been  well  wintered,  getting  their  rations  of  hay, 
corn  and  oats  as  regularly  as  the  hour  came  for  them  to 
have  it.  The  idea  of  starving  or  freezing  out  horses  has 
long  been  exploded  with  me,  and  must  have  originated  in 
some  one  who  was  so  confoundedly  mean  that  he  grudged 
the  horses  the  grain  that  was  necessary  for  them  to  retain 
their  stamina.  My  idea  of  wintering  a  trotter  is  to  turn 
him  in  a  large,  roomy  box,  first  having  prepared  him 
by  taking  off  the  clothes  he  has  been  wearing,  putting 
lighter  ones  on,  removing  them  so  that  he  may  get  a 
good  thick  coating  of  hair  that  will  protect  him  better 
than  the  artificial  application  of  blankets ;  his  shoes 
pulled  off  of  course.  Adjoining  this  box  let  there  be  a 
yard  well  littered  with  straw,  and  every  day,  that  is  not 
too  stormy,  give  him  the  run  of  the  yard  for  several 
hours.  Have  the  best  of  timothy  cut  when  the  seed  is 
just  forming,  or  rather  when  the  bloom  is  entirely  off ; 
well  cured,  but  not  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air  till  half  of 
its  nutritious  qualities  have  been  wasted.  Have  a  large 
manger,  in  which  the  horse  can  turn  this  hay  over,  se- 
lecting the  part  of  it  that  suits  him  best ;  but  if  good  and 
properly  cured  all  will  be  eaten.  This  manger  should 
take  up  the  whole  end  of  the  box,  high  enough  that  in 
rolling  there  will  be  no  danger  of  getting  in  it ;  built  per- 
pendicularly, so  that  if  inclined  to  paw  while  eating,  the 
knee  will  not  hit  it  as  would  be  the  case  were  it  sloping 
from  him.  On  one  end  of  this  manger  set  a  porcelain  lined 
feed  trough,  or  in  lieu  of  that  a  common  cast  iron  kettle 
that  will  hold  two  or  three  pails  full.  Give  him,  at  regu- 


WItfTEKING    A    TEOTTEE.  49 

lar  intervals,  three  feeds  a  day  of  good  oats,  every  other 
day  substituting  a  few  ears  of  sound  old  corn — the  dent 
varieties  are  the  best — the  amount  will  depend  on  the 
size  or  fat  forming  qualities  ;  but  from  six  to  eight  quarts 
of  oats  daily,  or  its  equivalent  in  other  feed,  will  generally 
be  found  sufficient.  The  quantity  of  hay  to  be  unlimited, 
so  that  the  stomach  will  be  filled,  restoring  the  muscular 
power  in  that  organ,  which  may  have  been  impaired  in 
the  preparation  for  sweats  and  races  the  preceding  sum- 
mer. Once  or  twice  a  week  give  a  bran  mash,  and  place 
a  box  containing  salt  within  reach.  Through  the  winter 
change  his  feed  by  giving  cut  feed,  carrots,  wheat,  rye, 
barley,  meal,  etc.,  and  as  the  spring  comes  on,  a  little  oil 
meal,  flax,  or  sunflower  seeds,  will  assist  in  shedding  the 
old  coat,  and  producing  a  soft,  shiny  new  one  to  take  its 
place.  He  should  be  watered  three  times  a  day.  The 
litter  in  his  box  shaken  up,  and  all  the  soiled  portions 
thrown  out  once  a  day.  No  grooming  will  be  needed  ;  if 
plenty  of  clean  straw  is  kept  in  his  yard  and  box  he  will 
not  require  it,  and  for  this  much  of  the  year,  at  least,  he 
will  be  exempt  from  the  torture — to  a  thin-skinned  horse—- 
of currycomb  and  brush.  In  the  temperature  of  this  box 
I  know  of  no  better  rule  to  observe  than  that,  after  proper 
precautions  have  been  taken  for  thorough  ventilation,  it 
may  be  made  so  close  as  to  exclude  the  outer  air.  If  this 
is  done  by  building  a  hollow  brick  wall  or  a  wooden  one, 
the  aim  will  be  reached.  I  have  seen  stables  built  of  logs 
that  were  as  good,  and  horses  wintered  in  them  as  well,  as 
when  thousands  of  dollars  had  been  lavished  to  rear  a 
structure  that  has  all  the  appliances  of  modern  times  to 
make  its  inmates  comfortable.  I  do  not  mean,  by  this  re- 
marl:,  to  be  understood  that  I  find  fault  with  the  taste 
displayed  by  our  wealthy  men  in  building  fine  barns  and 
stables.  They  are  not  only  a  great  ornament  to  a  fine 
villa  or  eity  residence,  but  they  are  so  comfortable  for  the 


50  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

horse,  and  so  handy  for  those  who  have  them  in  charge, 
that  to  one  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the  best  half  a 
century  ago,  the  change  would  be  marvellous.  Foi  a 
country  place  or  farm  there  is  nothing  that  adds  more 
of  a  home  look  than  good  outbuildings,  and  I  would  have 
the  horse  barn  not  too  far  distant  from  the  house.  In 
fact,  I  would  have  it  so  near  that  let  the  weather  be  as 
rough  as  it  might,  there  would  be  no  dread  of  going  from 
one  to  the  other.  It  should  be  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
picture,  made  up  of  the  dwelling,  lawn,  orchard  and  pad- 
docks, where  the  matrons  of  the  stud  and  their  offspring 
are  sunning  themselves.  If  not  naturally  protected,  I 
would  shelter  it  with  belts  of  trees,  evergreen  and  decidu- 
ous. To  sum  up,  I  would  have  it  look  as  if  its  inmates 
were  just  as  well  taken  care  of  as  those  in  the  more 
pretentious  dwelling,  and  where  horses,  like  the  Falcon, 
would  have  their  eye  for  the  beautiful  gratified  whenever 
they  looked  out  of  the  box  window.  For  a  training  stable, 
there  would  have  to  be  a  change  of  site  and  arrangements 
that  would  differ,  but  the  training  quarters  we  will  also 
discuss  some  other  time. 

PUPIL. — You  would  have  every  one  who  kept  a  horse 
provide  him  with  a  comfortable  home,  and  it  is  surprising 
that  men  of  sufficient  means  are  found  who  restrict  their 
horses  to  a  place  unfit  to  confine  a  hog.  Plenty  of  farm- 
ers, "  out  West,"  still  crib  them  in  a  pen  made  of  poles 
and  straw,  which  answered  the  purpose  very  well  when 
first  erected,  and  while  the 'family  was  contented  and 
comfortable  in  the  shanty  or  log  cabin ;  but  large  gaps 
have  been  made  in  the  fragile  material,  where  the  cutting 
prairie  winds  blow  through,  seemingly  more  biting  than 
where  the  snow  drifted  over  the  fence,  and  the  cattle  were 
cowering  beneath  the  blast. 

These  men  have  owed  all  their  wealth  and  comforts  to  the 
faithful  servants  that  brought  them  from  their  old  home, 


NEGLECT    OF    HORSES.  51 

•where  the  soil  was  rocky  and  sterile,  to  that  where  it  is  as 
rich  and  fruitful  as  the  valley  of  the  Nile.  They  toiled  at 
the  breaking  plow,  late  and  early,  to  convert  the  flowery 
prairie  into  fields  that  were  overladen  with  all  the  pro- 
ducts the  most  provident  farmer  could  desire  ;  hauled  the 
rails  that  protected  these  crops  from  devastation  ;  reaped 
the  grain,  harvested,  thrashed ;  in  fact,  thanks  to  the  in- 
ventive genius  of  the  country,  did  all  the  heavy  work  of 
the  farm,  and  after  that  was  accomplished,  joined  in  the 
owner's  pleasures,  carrying  him  where  he  listed. 

The  excitement  of  the  wolf  chase  could  not  have  been 
enjoyed  had  they  refused  to  follow  the  wily  denizen  of  the 
grove  and  bluff  over  the  rolling  prairie,  never  making  a 
mistake  in  the  treacherous  gopher  holes,  and  knowing 
just  where  it  was  safe  to  cross  the  slough  that  trembles 
under  their  light  feet. 

For  all  these  services  rendered,  they  are  requited  by 
having  to  stand  the  cold  night  with  no  protection,  while 
the  owner  has  replaced  the  cabin  with  the  good  two  story 
brick  or  frame,  protected  from  every  breath  of  cold  air. 
Would  that  I  had  the  power  to  make  them  change  places. 
The  burly  farmer  should  shiver  for  a  while  till  he  ac- 
knowledged his  indebtedness,  and  finally  repaid  it  by 
making  his  horse  as  comfortable  as  his  now  ample 
means  would  render  easy  of  accomplishment. 

You  almost  frighten  me  from  the  determination  to 
make  this  bolter  forget  his  dangerous  trick,  but  as 
there  never  was  a  steeple-chase  rider  that  did  not  get  a 
"purler"  or  "sockdolager,"  before  he  attained  the  re- 
quisite knowledge,  so  I  will  even  brave  the  chance  of 
being  impinged  on  some  heavy,  ponderous  object  that 
will  receive  me  at  the  risk  of  compound  fractures, 
liberal  contusions,  and  seeing  stars  generally.  I  cor- 
dially agree  with  you  relative  to  the  wintering,  and  have 


52  HOUSE     PORTRAITURE. 

followed  the  plan  you  have  advised,  as  far  as  my  means 
would  permit. 

I  cannot  coincide  in  your  opinion  of  even  making  the 
most  money  by  the  early  sales  of  colts  having  the  admix- 
ture of  French  blood,  to  make  them  learn  their  trotting 
lessons  easier.  If  I  were  able  to  breed  in  the  manner  I 
would  like,  to  secure  the  right  location  for  the  farm  would, 
of  course,  be  the  first  thing.  I  would  look  a  long  while 
before  I  made  the  selection,  as  it  would  have  to  combine 
qualities  that  are  not  found  on  every  farm.  Supposing 
it  to  lie  north  of  the  forty-first  or  second  parallel  of  lati- 
tude, it  would  have  to  be  in  a  sheltered  situation,  where 
no  rough  wind  should  have  a  long  sweep.  The  soil  should 
be  rich,  so  that  there  would  be  a  good  growth  of  herbage, 
and  suitable  for  the  production  of  all  kinds  of  grain. 
Without  drawing  on  my  fancy,  I  will  describe  a  place  I 
have  often  thought  the  very  best  I  ever  saw  for  a  horse 
breeding  establishment.  It  consists  of  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  being  a  square,  each  of  its  boundary  lines  a 
mile.  Along  its  eastern  boundary  is  a  road  that  for 
several  miles  is  perfectly  straight,  nearly  level,  and  quite 
sandy.  About  half  way  there  is  another  road  running  in 
a  westerly  direction,  by  the  buildings,  which  are  located 
very  near  in  the  centre  of  the  whole  tract.  The  eastern 
half  of  the  section  is  very  nearly  level,  yet  undulating 
enough  to  cause  perfect  drainage.  On  this  portion  is 
found  almost  every  variety  of  western  land — that  along 
the  road  having  a  mixture  of  sand  ;  and  as  you  go  back, 
there  is  gravelly  loam,  heavy  alluvium,  clayey  loam,  all 
rich,  mellow,  and  friable  as  an  ash  heap.  This  part  was 
originally  prairie,  lying  on  the  second  bottom  of  the 
Mississippi  Biver.  The  western  part  of  the  section  runs 
part  way  up  the  bluff,  which  is  crescent-shaped,  and  of  a 
gentle  inclination,  rising  about  two  hundred  feet  higher 
than  the  bottom.  This  bluff  does  not  present  a  contiuu- 


WHITE-OAK     WOODLAKDS.  53 

ous  line,  but  is  divided  into  several  hills  by  ravines,  that 
gradually  widen  as  they  approach  the  bottom,  till  on  tho 
skirts  of  the  timber  they  are  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
in  width.  The  hills  are  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of 
timber,  principally  grand  old  white  oaks,  that  interlace 
their  branches  overhead,  while  their  trunks  are  such  a 
distance  apart  as  to  suggest  the  idea  of  their  having 
been  planted  by  some  skilled  landscape  gardener,  centu- 
ries ago.  This  idea  is  strengthened  by  the  grouping  of 
the  trees,  which,  in  every  case,  are  best  arranged  to  suit 
the  inequalities  of  the  ground.  As  you  approach  the  edge 
of  the  ravine,  shrubbery  takes  the  place  of  the  large 
trees,  making  an  appropriate  border  for  these  emerald 
bays  so  beautifully  carpeted  with  the  thick  growing  blue 
grass.  These  woodlands  are  very  different  from  the  cele- 
brated wooded  blue  grass  pastures  of  Kentucky,  and 
much  as  I  have  admired  them  at  Woodburn,  Ashland, 
and  scores  of  other  places  in  that  favored  region  of  the 
horse-paradise,  still,  to  my  eye,  there  is  more  beauty  in 
these  I  am  trying  to  describe.  The  Kentucky  trees  show 
that  they  have  been  a  dense  growth,  and  were  forced  to 
grow  long  boles  that  their  tops  might  not  be  overshadowed 
by  their  high  companions.  The  cutting  away  of  part  of 
tliis  growth  has  made  the  lack  of  branches  more  apparent. 
Here  the  annual  fires  killed  all  the  undergrowth,  leav- 
ing those  that  were  large  enough  not  to  be  injured  by  the 
burning  grass  at  a  sufficient  distance  apart  to  develop  their 
full  beauty.  Trees  of  two  or  three  feet  in  diameter  would 
scarcely  rise  twenty  feet  before  they  threw  out  lateral 
branches  approximating  to  the  size  of  the  parent  stem. 

What  a  crown  of  grandeur  some  of  these  old  white  and 
burr  oaks  possess,  and  to  my  mind  the  white  oak  is,  par 
excellence,  the  king  of  trees.  I  ha~ve  a  distinct  recollection 
(though  it  is  a  long  while  ago  since  I  saw  them)  of  some 
of  the  woods  and  parks  of  the  "  old  countrie."  When  a 


-54  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

boy  I  bird-nested  and  gathered  hazel  nuts  in  Craigieburn 
Wood,  "  where  sweet  faa's  the  eve  ;"  guddled  for  trouts 
in  the  waters,  and  pou'd  gowans  on  the  banks,  of  the  Even 
and  Annan,  rendered  classical  by  the  sweet  lyrics  my 
countrymen  have  written  in  their  praise  ;  wandered  with 
awe  around  some  of  the  old  ruined  castles  whose  thick 
walls  and  grated  windows  told  tales  of  the  old  feudal 
times,  and  which  needed  not  the  funereal  yew  and  dismal 
fir  to  make  as  ghostly  as  one  could  wish  ;  admired  the  well- 
kept  parks,  with  the  trees  of  centuries'  growth  springing 
from  the  verdant  sod.  Your  remark  that  the  English- 
man's boast  was  of  the  most  beautiful  women,  finest 
horses,  and  grandest  old  trees  is  true,  since  Scotland  was 
joined  by  act  of  Parliament  to  the  richer  country.  The 
finest  horses,  even  a  Scotchman  will  admit,  they  always 
possessed,  but  the  bonnie  lasses  and  grand  trees  would 
never  be  allowed.  No  one  acquainted  with  the  literature 
of  the  two  countries,  will  deny  that  the  Scot  has  been 
more  felicitous  in  his  description  of  female  beauty,  which 
can  only  be  accounted  for  by  his  more  frequently  seeing 
it ;  but  I  have  got  away  from  the  breeding  farm  and  di- 
gressed merely  to  compare  the  trees  on  it  with  those  of 
Kentucky  and  England,  superior  to  the  first  and  quite 
equaling  the  finest  specimens  in  the  English  parks.  The 
site  for  the  house  is  about  midway,  in  elevation,  between 
the  river  and  top  of  the  bluff,  on  the  summit  of  one  of 
the  smaller  hills.  To  the  east  and  south  nothing  ob- 
structs the  view,  and  a  grand  one-  it  is.  The  southward 
curve  of  the  bluff,  forming  an  arc  of  a  great  circle,  en- 
closes several  thousand  acres  between  it  and  the  river. 
"Where  it  meets  the  water,  it  ends  in  an  almost  perpen- 
dicular wall  of  yellow  limestone,  broken  into  deep  fissures, 
where  scrubby  red  cedars  and  creeping  vines  are  the  only 
verdure  that  can  grow.  On  the  summit  of  the  precipice  are 
gnarled  oaks,  throwing  their  branches  in  fantastic  shapes 


SITU  AJT  I  0  N     OF     A     MODEL     FARM.  55 

athwart  the  sky.  Away  to  the  southeast  and  beyond  the 
river,  are  blue,  hazy  looking  hills,  an  undulating  outline 
losing  itself  in  the  far  off  horizon.  Directly  opposite  the 
house  is  a  heavily  wooded  island.  Above  the  dense  foli- 
age of  the  trees  another  rocky  barrier  rears  its  frowning 
bulk  in  broken  crags,  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  water. 
This  precipice  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  the 
course  of  which  can  be  seen  for  miles  from  the  door  of 
the  house.  The  plateau  lying  between  it  and  the  shelter- 
ing bluff  is  spread  out,  like  a  map,  before  you.  On  the 
farthest  extremity  is  a  neat  little  village.  Between  that 
and  the  observer  are  several  cultivated  farms,  the  build- 
ings and  fences  adding  greatly  to  the  comfortable  appear- 
ance of  the  whole.  A  steamboat  is  gliding  along  over  the 
tranquil  waters,  and  from  another  village  on  the  eastern 
shore,  a  long  train  of  cars  is  winding  its  way  round  the 
foot  of  the  rocky  bluff.  A  large  spring  breaks  from  the 
most  northern  ravine,  and  is  running  through  the  pasture 
like  a  thread  of  silver.  Erom  your  seat,  in  front  of  the 
house,  you  can  see  where  a  mile  course  could  be  made 
that, a  cat  would  be  visible  on  every  "jump"  he  would 
make.  You  fancy  now  that  you  can  see  the  embryotic 
trotters  taking  their  preliminary  lessons,  and  in  another 
field  to  the  right,  but  just  as  much  under  your  eye,  some 
of  their  kindred  are  more  gracefully  galloping.  I  am 
now  presiirning  that  I  am  rich  enough  to  keep  race 
horses,  as  I  would  advise  every  man  of  moderate  means, 
whose  fancy  for  the  horse  requires  gratification,  to  stick 
to  the  trotters.  He  will  make  money  out  of  them  if  even 
unsuccessful  in  breeding  top  sawyers,  the  different  grades 
finding  ready  sales  and  remunerating  prices  in  the  largo 
towns  and  cities,  while  the  training  expenses  of  the  young 
race  horse  are  three-fold  of  his  more  useful  but  less 
showy  relative,  the  young  trotter.  I  quite  agree  with 
John  Kandolph,  that  two  tolerable  things  are  intolerable, 


56  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

a  tolerable  egg  and  a  tolerable  race  horse.  I  have  now 
found  a  suitable  farm,  but  the  most  important  thing  is 
yet  to  be  sought,  the  stock  that  is  to  render  all  available  ; 
and  here  I  would  probably  differ  from  ninety-nine  in  a 
hundred  who  have  given  the  subject  much  study.  For  a 
stallion  (leaving  all  predilections  or  favoritism  for  an  in- 
dividual animal  that  would  cause  me  to  select  the  Falcon 
as  a  model),  I  would  hunt  up  a  thoroughbred  of  good 
size,  say  fifteen  and  a  half  to  sixteen  hands,  possessing 
the  requisite  bone,  or  rather,  tendon  and  muscle.  Most 
all  horses  in  my  opinion  have  bone  enough — a  good  ma&y 
of  them  too  much.  His  pedigree  I  would  be  just  as  fas- 
tidious about  as  if  I  wanted  to  breed  race  horses,  and 
would  not  be  suited  without  it  contained  several  crosses 
of  Messenger  and  Sir  Archy.  There  may  be  other  fami- 
lies that  will  prove  just  as  successful,  but  these  have  been 
tried.  I  know  of  two  imported  stallions  that  will  un- 
doubtedly be  celebrated  yet  as  the  progenitors  of  trot- 
ters. 

To  go  back  thirty  years  for  an  illustration.  A  colt 
from  Ariel,  by  Henry,  would  suit  me  exactly  as  to  blood. 
For  instance,  Ariel,  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Financier,  g  dam 
by  Baronet,  g  g  dam  by  Messenger ;  Eclipse,  by  Duroc, 
dam  by  Messenger  ;  Financier,  by  Tippo  Saib,  dam  by 
Messenger  ;  Tippo  Saib,  by  Messenger.  This  might  ap- 
pear as  if  too  closely  inbred  to  produce  a  good  animal, 
but  her  performances — the  best  campaigner  of  her  day — 
shows  that  it  was  not  the  case  with  her  ;  and  by  scrutini- 
zing this  pedigree  we  will  find  that  with  all  these  near 
crosses  she  was  only  about  a  quarter  Messenger,  but  un- 
doubtedly the  preponderance  of  that  blood  over  any 
other,  enabled  her  to  display  its  most  valuable  character- 
istics, and  I  have  no  doubt,  that  had  she  been  taught  to 
trot,  she  would  have  exhibited  the  wonderful  feats  since 
shown  by  the  more  remote  members  of  this  family, 


SELECTION    OF    STALLION    AND    MARES.    57 

Henry,  the  celebrated  antagonist  of  Eclipse,  was  the  sire 
of  the  dam  American  Star,  that  got  Goshen  Maid,  Bolly 
Lewis,  and  a  great  many  other  good  ones  renowned  in  the 
stud  as  well  as  the  trotting  course. 

Post  Boy,  a  son  of  the  hero  of  7 : 37,  left  many  fine  road- 
sters through  Ohio  and  Michigan,  ending  his  career  in 
Dixon,  Illinois,  where  he  died  in  186*3,  thirty  years  old, 
the  last  of  his  get  a  very  promising  trotting  filly.  I  would 
prefer  the  stallion  a  bay  or  brown.  My  choice  woiild  be 
that  rich,  rosewood  brown,  a  color  often  seen  in  the  colts 
of  imported  Sovereign.  It  would  be  an  additional  in- 
ducement for  me  to  buy  him  if  he  had  been  tried,  and  his 
eolts  were  found  to  color  after  himself,  and  it  would  be 
absolutely  essential  that  he  had  good  trotting  action — 
the  faster  the  better. 

For  mares  I  would  like  to  get  good  sized,  roomy  ani- 
mals, with  all  the  important  points  good  ;  strong  consti- 
tutions and  docile  in  their  temper.  I  would  not  care  if 
they  had  less  quality  than  the  stallion,  but  would  much 
prefer  one  that  had  been  a  mother,  proving  herself  a  good 
milker,  to  one  that  looked  a  little  better,  but  not  known 
to  possess  this  great  desideratum  for  the  well-doing  of 
the  colt.  Their  blood  would  suit  me  best  to  resemble 
that  of  the  stallion,  by  having  the  remote  crosses  similar, 
with  an  admixture  of  Trustee  or  Boston,  both  of  whose 
descendants  I  have  seen  trot  fast.  They  should  also  have 
the  clear  trotting  step  that  a  majority  of  thoroughbred 
mares  surely  possess.  I  do  not  think  the  objection  often 
urged  against  breeding  from  near  affinities,  is  sustained 
by  proof  from  the  record — quite  to  the  contrary,  as  was 
exhibited  by  Ariel.  Many  of  the  best  animals  on  the  turf 
have  been  thus  bred.  I  would  not  advise  incestuous 
crosses,  though  even  that  is  less  to  be  dreaded  than  many 
think.  Virginia  Taylor  and  Virginia  Lafayette  by  Sir 
Archy,  dam  Coquette  by  Sir  Archy,  were  both  good 


58  IIOKSEPOKTBAITUKE. 

mares,  the  best  their  dam  ever  bred  from  any  other 
horse.  Flirtilla,  Jr.,  bred  in  the  same  way,  was  not  as 
fleet  an  animal  as  her  dam,  but  a  better  brood  mare, 
producing  Cassandra,  one  of  the  best  of  the  noted  Priam's 
get  in  this  country.  I  think  that  to  establish  any  point 
of  excellence  in  a  family,  not  usual  to  their  race,  but  prom- 
inent in  them,  this  system  is  far  more  certain  than  any 
other  that  can  be  pursued.  'Twas  thus  that  Collins,  Bake- 
well  and  Webb  built  up  almost  a  distinct  race  of  short 
horns,  Leicesters  and  Southdowns,  and  though  we  want 
our  horses  famous  for  something  else  than  early  maturity, 
large  size  and  capacity  to  take  on  fat,  the  soundness  of 
constitution  necessary,  ere  they  can  possess  these  quali- 
ties, wMl  likewise  tend  to  the  forming  of  muscle  and 
adaptability  for  rapid  locomotion. 

These  ma-res  I  would  also  select  of  a  uniform  color, 
which  should  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  horse,  having  an 
eye  to  the  progeny  resembling  each  other,  which  would 
enhance  their  value  both  as  trotters  or  carriage  horses. 
Pairs  are  now  much  sought  after,  by  those  who  delight  in 
going  fast  on  the  road,  and  to  one  who  can  afford  the 
added  expense  is  certainly  much  more  pleasant  than  driv- 
ing one,  if  they  are  lucky  enough  to  get  together  those 
alike  in  size,  speed  and  action. 

Having  now  got  my  stock,  I  would  prepare  the  place 
by  fencing  those  sheltered  ravines  into  small  sized  fields 
or  paddocks,  in  each  enclosure  placing  a  shed,  tightly 
roofed  and  closely  boarded  on  three  sides.  This  would  be 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  mare,  and  foal  soon  after  it 
was  dropped,  and  where  I  would  keep  them  till  the  foal  was 
old  enough  to  wean.  In  this  shed  should  be  two  feeding 
boxes  or  troughs,  the  one  that  the  mare  eats  from  large, 
but  so  low  that  her  colt  could  also  reach  it,  so  that  the 
little  fellow  would  learn  from  his  mother  to  nibble  at  the 
oats,  -and  when  the  teeth  got  through  the  gums,  eat  his 


REABING     COLTS.  59 

share  from  the  smaller  trough  placed  where  the  mare 
could  not  get  at  it.  They  should  have  two  feeds  a  day  of 
about  three  quarts  each  feed,  not  quite  so  much  as  that  till 
after  the  mare  was  stinted  again.  When  the  colt  is  about 
five  months  old,  say  the  first  of  November,  I  would  wean 
him  ;  first  having  broken  him  to  the  halter  so  that  he 
would  be  as  handy  to  lead  as  an  old  horse.  The  middle 
of  August  I  would  have  one  of  the  smaller  fields  of 
corn  seeded  to  rye  between  the  rows.  Through  one  cor- 
ner of  the  field  runs  the  spring  branch,  its  bed  clean 
gravel  and  sand  that  has  been  placed  there,  so  there  shall 
be  no  mud  for  our  little  heroes  to  stand  in  as  they  quench 
their  thirst.  On  the  side  near  the  house  is  a  long  shed 
with  a  trough,  where  the  twenty  colts  we  are  now  wean- 
ing, will  have  plenty  of  room  to  eat  their  ration  of  oats 
without  interfering  with  each  other.  Tn  this  field  we  turn 
them,  placing  those  foaled  the  earliest  in  first ;  but  as  a 
general  rule,  no  matter  about  the  age,  it  is  best  to  com- 
mence weaning  as  soon  as  the  first  of  November,  before 
the  succulence  of  the  young  rye  has  been  injured  by  frost. 
The  colts  will  improve  in  condition  on  that  and  the 
oats  that  are  fed  in  the  shed,  and  will  also  nibble  at  the 
ears  of  corn  not  yet  gathered  from  the  stalk.  They  will 
soon  become  reconciled  to  the  loss  of  the  mother  by  the 
company  of  each  other,  and  it  will  be  far  better  than  any 
circus  show  to  see  them  play,  or  come  rushing  through 
the  corn-stalks,  when  you  call  them  to  the  evening  meal, 
always  given  by  yourself  or  under  your  immediate  super- 
vision. 

Here  we  will  let  them  stay,  till  the  weather  becomes 
cold  enough  to  require  their  being  placed  in  warmer  quar- 
ters at  night  and  on  stormy  days.  On  the  sunny  side  of 
the  barn  we  have  built  a  large  shed ;  on  the  west  side  is 
a  stone-wall  which  is  banked  up  for  half  its  height ;  the 
south  side  is  boarded,  and  the  east  fixed  with  sliding 


60  HOESE    POKTRAITUBE. 

doors,  so  that  in  case  of  very  cold  weather  it  can  be  closed 
entirely.  Sliding  partitions  are  also  prepared  to  divide 
the  shed  into  five  compartments.  The  shed  is  littered 
deeply  with  straw.  Overhead  we  have  storage  room  for 
hay,  corn-stalks  and  straw,  and  contiguous  to  the  south 
side  is  a  room  for  corn,  oats,  meal,  bran,  &c.,  with  a  root- 
cellar  in  the  high  bank.  The  hay  is  clover  and  timothy, 
the  clover  cut  while  the  flowers  are  in  full  bloom,  and  the 
timothy  cut  a  week  earlier  than  one  wouH  cut  it  for 
horses  that  are  in  train.  The  clover  has  been  cured  so 
that  its  fragrance  is  that  of  a  fine  morning,  no  blackness 
or  mould,  but  a  deep  green  ;  an  armful  of  it  thrown  to 
the  hogs  is  as  greedily  eaten  as  if  it  had  just  been  cut.  In 
the  root  cellar  are  carrots,  with  a  few  other  vegetables, 
such  as  cabbages  and  sugar  beets.  The  commissary  is 
well  supplied,  and  are  near  enough  the  head  of  the 
spring,  so  that  we  carry  it  in  a  pipe  to  the  yard  without 
danger  of  freezing. 

These  young  things  must  be  fed  as  regularly  as  the 
movement  of  a  Jules  Jurgesen  watch,  varying  their  feed 
whenever  their  appetite  craves  a  change.  But  I  must 
beg  your  pardon  for  taking  up  this  subject,  which  you  had 
tabooed  till  a  rainy  evening  ;  but  once  on  the  subject  of 
breeding  and  I  do  not  know  when  to  stop.  I  must  pray 
of  you  to  put  an  end  to  my  loquacity  when  it  becomes 
tiresome.  I  am  not  so  conceited  as  to  think  that  all  of 
my  plannings  and  dreamings  will  be  conceded  to,  or  even 
interest  you,  though  I  have  had  some  experience  in  breed- 
ing on  a  small  scale,  and  have  visited  some  of  the  large 
breeding  establishments  of  the  country,  but  never  yet 
have  seen  one  that  suited  me  in  all  particulars. 

PRECEPTOR. — Well,  my  scholar  and  partly  teacher,  I 
have  become  greatly  interested  in  your  ideal  farm,  and 
will  be  much  pleased  to  hear  you  continue  it,  till  the  colts 
have  got  to  an  age  when  they  will  be  fit  to  go  to  sharp 


COUKTKY     EEPOSE     AND     FKIENDS.         61 

work.  I  have  no  doubt  your  knowledge  of  breeding  is 
much  superior  to  mine,  as  I  never  raised  a  colt  in  my 
life,  and  though  nearly  a  score  of  years  your  senior,  pre- 
sume that  your  country  life  ha's  given  you  facilities  for 
observation,  tenfold  greater  than  could  be  enjoyed  by  one 
spending  his  days  on  a  track  near  this  great  metropolis, 
which  throws  its  shadow  over  what  should  be  country,  and 
requires  quite  a  journey  ere  one  can  feel  that  he  is  entirely 
free  from  city  air.  It  has  been  a  cherished  idea  with  me, 
that  the  time  would  come  when  I  should  own  a  farm, 
where  I  could  retire  in  the  evening  of  life  solaced  with 
the  quiet  joys  a  dweller  in  the  country  has  to  be  contented 
with,  but  I  have  been  too  long  acquiring  the  means  that 
would  enable  me  to  fix  myself  satisfactorily.  For  a  man  of 
my  age  to  form  new  habits,  acquire  new  friends,  change  my 
whole  manner  of  life,  I  am  of  opinion  it  is  too  late.  It  is 
true,  my  lifelong  companions,  the  horses,  could  be  re- 
tained, but  ardent  as  I  am  in  my  affections  for  them,  I 
could  not  be  in  the  stable  all  the  while.  Had  I  a  family, 
the  case  would  be  different.  A  wife  to  share  my  joys  and 
griefs,  to  solace  me  in  one  and  make  the  other  doubly  en- 
joyable, with  children  to  watch  over  and  establish,  then 
any  place  would  be  cheerful ;  but,  as  with  the  farm,  I 
waited  too  long,  till  the  time  for  connubial  felicity  had 
also  passed. 

From  my  connection  with  horses  I  have  made  friends 
that  honor  me  by  .their  friendship ;  men  of  strict  in- 
tegrity, who  never  think  of  a  mean  deed  much  less  of 
doing  one,  whose  fondness  for  the  sports  of  the  turf  can 
not  be  destroyed  by  the  rascality  of  those  who  would 
be  rascals  the  same  in  any  position  of  life  they  might  be 
placed,  and  who  bring  the  manly  sport  in  so  much  dis- 
credit, that  it  takes  a  good  deal  of  nerve  in  those  men 
placed  high,  in  social  position,  the  fruits  of  large  means 
and  well  directed  talent,  to  acknowledge  their  connection 


62  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

with  it.  I  have  scores  of  these  friends  to  love  and  ad- 
mire, and  whose  friendship  will  cheer  me  through  life,  if 
unfortunate  enough  to  have  neither  home  nor  family  to 
gild  its  declining  years.  I  am  sorry  you  have  located 
your  breeding  farm  so  near  the  setting  sun  as  even  the 
west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  It  will  be  too  far  to  go  to 
see  the  results  of  your  making  trotters  of  thoroughbreds, 
and  I  am  afraid  ere  you  send  the  first  installment  to 
market  my  heats  will  be  ended,  and,  gently  as  the  ancient 
scythe-bearer  has  always  treated  me,  he  will  undoubtedly 
leave  me  behind  the  distance  pole  at  last,  though  I  shall 
make  a  game  struggle,  and  hope  the  closing  event  will 
bring  no  discredit  on  the  many  honorable  contests  that 
have  preceded  it. 

PUPIL. — The  Falcon  ? 

PRECEPTOR. — Yes,  I  know  that  the  Falcon  which  I  have 
been  so  foolish  as  to  let  you  know  how  much  I  like, 
is  thrown  in  my  face  as  sufficient  proof  that  the  colts  from 
your  twenty-five  mares  will  all,  or  at  least  a  majority  of 
them,  trot  fast.  "  One  swallow  does  not  make  a  summer," 
nor  will  one  thoroughbred  establish  the  claims  of  the 
whole  race  to  trotting  speed. 

PUPIL. — Did  you  not  admit  a  short  time  ago,  that  if 
blood  horses  were  trained  as  the  trotting  families  are, 
they  would  excel  them  in  their  own  branch  of  going. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  did  say  if  race  colts  were  placed  in  the 
same  thorough  training  as  Membrinos,  Hambletonians 
and  Pilots,  there  would  be  as  many  trotters  among  them 
as  among  the  colder  blooded  ones,  but  I  did  not  want 
you  to  infer  that  in  a  breeding  establishment  to  rear 
trotters,  I  would  discard  those  families  that  had  shown 
their  adaptation  for  that  gait.  It  would  be  well  enough 
for  some  of  our  rich  men  to  attempt  the  proof,  who  could 
pocket  the  loss,  if  it  should  prove  such.  In  fact,  I  told 
you  that  I  would  have  French  mares,  so  that  the  colts 


DANGEE     OF     EXPERIMENTS.  63 

would  not  need  as  much  practice  to  acquire  the  necessary 
knee  action,  which  every  fast  trotter  must  have.  You  dis- 
sented from  the  opinion,  but  as  yet  have  not  shown  that 
I  was  wrong  in  the  premises. 

PUPIL. — I  had  not  come  to  that  yet ;  I  had  only  carried 
my  colts  along,  till  they  were  weaned  and  prepared  for 
the  winter,  passing  over  a  great  deal  I  meant  to  say,  in 
order  to  get  to  that  point,  but  found  that  to  make  my 
plan  intelligible,  it  was  necessary  to  go  partially  in  detail 
to  be  understood,  and — 

PEECEPTOE. — All  right,  I  was  finding  no  fault  with  your 
description.  As  I  think  you  weaned  your  colts,  and 
started  them  into  winter  quarters  in  a  very  thorough 
manner,  and  will  warrant  that  if  dealt  with  in  ihe  same 
way  till  four  years  old,  you  will  have  the  right  kind  of 
animals  whether  they  trot  or  not.  Nor  do  I  find  fault 
with  your  taking  time  to  describe  the  scenery  surround- 
ing your  farm.  Were  the  best  farm  in  the  world  iso- 
lated from  others,  with  no  beautiful  surroundings,  it 
would  be  no  dwelling  place  for  me.  The  blood  you 
would  select  would  also  meet  my  approbation.  The  only 
trouble  is  in  confining  yourself  to  an  experiment,  which 
would  be  all  proper  in  a  man  with  abundant  means, 
where  failure  would  not  result  in  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ment, the  worst  of  all  loads  to  bear,  excepting  personal 
dishonor.  After  dinner  I  will  be  much  pleased  to  hear  a 
continuation  of  your  experimental  farm.  In  the  mean- 
time, we  must  not  neglect  the  commencement  of  our 
duties  to  these  animals  that  are  to  be  put  in  active 
training.  You  say  they  have  had  a  good  deal  of  walk  be- 
fore you  left  home,  so  that  they  will  only  need  sufficient 
to  recover  them  from  the  long  journey  on  the  cars.  To- 
morrow, we  will  go  to  the  shop,  and  see  that  they  are 
shod  in  a  proper  manner.  With  the  exception  of  the 
Falcon,  they  all  want  a  change  in  their  shoes,  to  guard 


64  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

against  hitting  somewhere,  as  I  see  the  bolter  has  had 
some  pretty  severe  hits  on  the  shin,  only  now  shown  by 
white  marks  across  the  dark  grey  of  his  leg  ;  but,  as  it 
will  be  sometime  before  he  is  ready,  even  to  jog,  there 
will  be  no  hurry  with  him.  As  for  the  young  things, 
when  you  finish  your  pipe,  and  I  one  or  two  of  these 
cigars,  we  will  look  them  over. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

ORNAMENTAL  PLANTING — OUT-BUILDINGS — BROOD  MARES  AND 
STALLIONS — WESTERN  PRAIRIES. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  have  been  so  fortunate  in  your  choice 
of  a  stopping  place,  that  I  am  afraid,  while  enjoying 
its  comforts,  we  will  be  tempted  to  place  too  much 
importance  on  the  good  breakfasts  and  dinners  pro- 
vided for  us,  and  grumble  over  their  absence  ;  making 
every  one  uncomfortable  who  has  anything  to  do  with 
providing  or  preparing  our  provender.  The  grumbler 
can  make  himself  more  disagreeable  to  those  who  are 
unlucky  enough  to  be  brought  into  contact  with  him,  than 
any  other  species  of  "  the  miserables"  attendant  on  this 
life.  I  have  known  some  unmitigated  types  of  this  class, 
but,  on  making  their  acquaintance  and  finding  this  to  be 
their  true  character,  have  got  out  of  their  way  and  kept 
out,  not  caring  for  any  benefit  that  might  accrue  from 
their  friendship,  so  much  overbalanced  by  having  to  listen 
to  their  fault-finding  diatribes.  But  if  you  will  favor  me 
with  another  of  those  finely  flavored  cigars,  I  will  not 
bore  you  at  present  with  grumblers,  or  the  mischief  they 
do  ;  and  shall  listen  with  pleasure  to  the  continuation  ot 

the  history  of  Farm.  Your  Scotch  proclivities 

ought  to  have  led  you  to  have  named  it  before  the  first 
paddock  was  built  or  the  first  furrow  turned. 

PUPIL. — And  a  very  good  plan  the  Scotch  have  of 
naming  every  farm,  no  matter  how  humble.  How  much 
better  to  refer  to  a  place  as  Burn-braes,  Heathery 


66  H  O'E  SE    POKTEAITUEE. 

Haugh,  Bosebank,  Hall-dykes,  than  Smith's  farm,  Jones's 
place,  &c.,  the  only  way  we  have  of  distinguishing  the  most 
beautiful  places  in  the  country.  Should  a  person  name  a 
little  'farm  which  he  looks  at  with  more  fondness  and  pride 
than  does  the  owner  of  the  estate  of  several  thousand 
acres,  his  aesthetic  taste  is  laughed  at,  and  he  is  ridiculed 
by  men  who  have  not  niany  ideas  above  those  of  an  Es- 
quimaux, so  far  as  the  beautiful  is  concerned.  I  will 
continue  my  ideal  history  of  the  breeding.  The  place  is 
no  fiction,  and  I  have  admired  it  a  thousand  times,  always 
considering  it  the  best  natural  farm  I  ever  saw.  The 
present  house,  situated  on  the  grandly  wooded  eminence, 
is  a  large,  massive  stone  building,  with  no  pretensions  to 
taste.  However,  the  arrangement  and  size  of  the  rooms 
are  such  as  to  be  comfortable  for  the  sheltering  of  a  good 
many  people.  It  is  in  the  form  of  an  L,  but  unfortu- 
nately the  angle  is  on  the  back  side  towards  the  wood. 
It  is  placed  so  near  the  eastern  slope  of  the  hill  that  all 
those  magnificent  trees  are  in  the  rear,  excepting  some 
of  the  finest  that  flank  it  on  the  north,  forming  a  second 
screen  as  an  additional  protection  from  the  north  wind, 
which  is  more  effectually  shut  out  by  the  bluff"  making  an 
abrupt  bend  to  the  east,  running  in  that  direction  very 
nearly  to  the  eastern  boundary.  A  few  straggling  black 
locusts  are  the  only  trees  in  front,  and  the  fine  slope  is 
bare  of  everything  save  garden  vegetables  and  current 
bushes.  The  road  is  at  the  foot  and  winds  round  it,  so 
that  to  an  observer,  familiar  with  Western  road-making, 
it  looks  like  a  private  one,  all  the  others  he  has  traveled 
following  the  section  lines  over  hill  and  dale.  The  sum- 
mer has  not  alone  been  occupied  by  watching,  feeding 
and  weaning  colts,  planting  crops,  and  so  on.  The  bare 
walls  have  been  hidden  by  a  wide  verandah  on  both  the 
eastern  and  southern  sides.  The  roof  has  been  carried 
over  it  so  that  it  projects  two  or  three  feet  beyond  the 


THE  FARM  HOUSE  AND  GEOUKDS.     67 

pillars  supporting  the  structure.  On  the  second  floor  it 
forms  a  commodious  balcony,  and  the  small  windows  have 
been  enlarged  and  cut  down  to  the  level  of  the  floor,  so 
that  when  the  window  is  open  you  step  at  once  on  to  the 
balcony.  The  color  of  the  yellow  limestone  walls  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  scenery  and  the  prairie  rose,  ivy,  honey- 
suckle and  woodbine  that  are  just  beginning  to  climb  up 
their  supports  will  hide  the  wood  work,  resembling  the 
natural  festoons  that  drape  the  distant  rocky  bluffs.  The 
slope  has  been  planted  with  rare  specimens  of  trees  and 
shrubs.  The  sombre  hues  of  the  cedar  and  hemlock,  are 
relieved  by  the  brighter  green  of  the  Norway  spruce,  its 
branches  hanging  in  graceful  curves  from  the  ground  to 
the  summit.  These  young  trees  have  been  planted  in 
groups,  which  when  better  grown  will  be  in  keeping  with 
the  natural  growth,  forming  a  foreground  to  the  picture 
— a  wide  contrast  to  the  massive  oaks  in  the  background, 
yet  appropriate,  as  there  is  no  glaring  incongruity  to  of- 
fend the  cultivated  taste.  There  is  no  formal,  stiffly  laid 
out  flower  garden,  nor  even  beds  in  geometrical  figures, 
but  patches  of  flowers  spring  up  where  least  expected, 
greeting  you  with  their  bright  colors  and  sweet  fragrance. 
There  are  a  few  pots  in  which  are  growing  those  that 
need  the  protection  of  the  conservatory  in  the  winter, 
which  has  been  added  to  the  house  on  the  west  side,  part 
of  the  wall  having  been  removed  so  that  there  is  a  com- 
munication with  it  from  the  library  and  living  room. 
Ornamental  vases  are  distributed  about  the  grounds,  not 
placed  there  to  be  admired  for  their  beauty  of  design  and 
richness  of  sculpture  alone,  but  every  one  further  deco- 
rated with  some  plant  that  gratifies  the  eye  with  its  unique 
appearance,  or  shrouding  the  pedestal  with  a  mass  of  foli- 
age and  flowers  drooping  from  the  rim.  That  old  stump, 
from  which  the  tree  has  been  barbarously  cut,  has  been 
formed  into  a  sun-dial.  We  do  not  expect  to  time  our 


68  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

colts  with  it,  but  it  has  a  useful  duty  to  perform  in  giving 
us  the  true  time,  by  which  we  can  regulate  our  watches, 
and  see  that  they  do  not  mislead  us  in  the  division  of  our 
time  or  the  speed  of  the  colts,  when  they  have  become  so 
fast  that  a  fraction  of  a  second  is  of  importance.  The 
source  of  the  spring  being  higher  than  the  house,  we  have 
conveyed  it  there  in  pipes,  giving  a  plentiful  amount  of 
pure  water.  From  its  abundance,  we  supply  the  fountain 
in  the  green-room.  The  fruit  and  kitchen  garden  has 
been  removed  to  the  rear  of  the  conservatory.  The  barn 
is  back  of  this,  and  a  little  further  east ;  approaching  the 
house  from  which  we  conveniently  reach  it  under  cover 
of  the  wood  and  carriage  houses.  The  sunny  yard  for 
the  colts  is  not  the  only  one,  there  being  several  separated 
by  close  board  fences,  the  boxes  of  the  brood  mares  open- 
ing into  them,  and  one  is  for  the  use  of  the  cattle,  the 
gazelle-eyed  Alderneys  predominating. 

Beyond  the  yards  there  is  an  opening  in  the  heavy 
timber,  of  several  acres,  which  had  been  planted  to  fruit 
trees  :  but  the  rabbits  reveled  there,  and  it  was  never  re- 
planted till  the  present  season.  They  are  growing  finely, 
and  have  been  protected  from  future  attacks  by  a  wire 
fence,  the  meshes  so  closely  interwoven,  that  the  rabbits  will 
be  compelled  to  satisfy  their  taste  for  bark  with  the  hazels 
and  sumachs  outside.  Now  that  we  have  noticed  the  im- 
provements to  beautify  and  make  comfortable  our  home, 
we  will  take  up  the  colts  started  into  the  winter,  as  you 
admit,  under  favorable  auspices.  The  routine  of  the  win- 
ter season  has  been  explained,  and  assuming  there  has 
been  no  deviation  from  the  time  they  got  their  meals  or 
were  turned  out  for  exercise,  you  may  have  found  it 
necessary  to  divide  them  into  four  or  five  lots,  some  of 
them  being  so  timid,  that  the  bolder  ones  drove  them 
away  from  their  feed,  and  generally  showed  an  arbitrary 
temper  to  those  who  would  give  way.  With  all  ou**  care, 


MARES    WITH    FOAL.  69 

some  of  them  may  have  got  lousy,  infested  with  parasites 
that  will  attack,  though  rarely,  the  well  fed,  well  cared-for 
animal.  Those  that  are  found  in  this  situation,  are  placed 
by  themselves.  Many  object  to  the  use  of  mercurial  oint- 
ment ;  I  have  never  found  any  danger  in  its  use  or  any- 
thing so  effectual  to  remove  them.  Eub  it  along  the  roots 
of  the  mane,  and  down  the  back,  being  careful  you  do  not 
put  it,  where  in  biting  themselves,  they  would  be  likely 
to  get  it.  Keep  them  dry  and  warm,  and  a  very  few  days 
will  be  sufficient  to  rid  them  from  these  pests,  that  would 
soon  reduce  them  to  a  skeleton  if  not  attended  to. 

The  twenty-five  mares — twenty  of  them  being  again 
with  foal — require  much  the  same  treatment  as  the  colts, 
though  it  is  advisable  that  they  should  not  acquire  too  much 
fat.  Each  one  has  a  box  stall  for  herself,  with  nothing  but 
a  manger  and  feeding  box,  and  this  placed  so  there  will 
be  no  danger  of  the  mare  injuring  herself  when  rolling. 
The  water  is  also  conducted  through  the  yards,  so  that 
all  may  drink  at  their  pleasure.  Their  feed  is  the  clover 
and  timothy  hay,  with  corn  fodder  to  increase  the  secre- 
tion of  milk  when  they  have -foaled.  Bran  mashes  we 
would  not  give,  but  plenty  of  carrots  and  occasional  feeds 
of  wheat,  which  I  have  known  the  use  of  to  prevent  mares 
from  slipping  their  foals  that  had  always  done  so  before 
they  were  thus  fed.  They  should  have  their  feed  with 
the  same  regularity  as  the  colts,  the  amount  of  grain 
regulated  by  their  condition.  Some  will  need  nearly 
double  as  much  as  others,  but  in  no  case  should  enough 
be  given  .them  to  accumulate  much  inside  fat,  which  will 
surely  be  detrimental  to  the  foal.  We  have  noted  exactly 
the  time  of  being  served ;  but  as  there  is  a  wide  differ- 
ence in  the  period  of  gestation  of  not  only  different  ani- 
mals, but  of  the  same  in  different  years,  it  is  only  a  partial 
guide,  and  there  is  no  rule  known  any  way  near  infallible. 
Some  mares  will  secrete  a  great  deal  of  the  lactic  fluid, 

4 


70  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

and  days  before  they  foal  the  milk  will  drop  from  their 
udder.  Others  foal  before  the  secretion  takes  place.  By 
close  observation  it  is  noticed  that  the  depression  in  the 
hip  is  more  apparent  just  before  foaling ;  this,  and  the 
uneasiness  of  the  mare,  will  be  the  best  tests  to  rely  upon. 
They  should  be  very  carefully  watched,  but  if  their  box  is 
roomy  enough,  and  the  mare  is  healthy  and  sound,  there 
is  very  little  danger  attending  parturition.  As  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  horses,  we  will  find  a  great  dissimilarity 
between  the  mothers  ;  some  it  is  almost  dangerous  to  ap- 
proach, their  affection  for  their  offspring  being  so  great 
that  they  are  in  an  agony  of  fear  whenever  they  perceive 
any  one  coming  near.  Others  will  not  pay  any  attention 
to  them,  while  there  are  still  others  that  will  not  let  the 
foal  suck  unless  compelled  ;  and  I  have  known  a  twitch  on 
the  nose  requisite  before  they  would  succumb.  Here  is 
one  that,  though  willing  enough,  has  not  a  drop  of  milk 
to  furnish.  The  Alderney  is  now  our  dependence.  We 
take  some  of  the  rich  milk,  dilute  it  with  water,  add  a 
little  sugar, — and  a  very  little  patience  will  teach  the  part- 
orphan  to  drink. 

One  of  Clipper's  colts  the  past  summer  lost  his  mother, 
when  ten  days  old,  by  falling  through  a  bridge.  His 
owner  brought  him  up  on  cow's  milk,  and  I  never  saw  a 
better  grown,  better  developed  four  months'  colt  in  my 
life.  He  went  the  round  of  the  fairs,  and  at  every  one 
took  the  first  premium  in  his  class.  He  could  be  led  on 
a  steamboat  or  railroad  car  with  no  more  difficulty  than 
a  pet  dog,  and  he  exhibited  more  sense  in  every  position 
than  any  one  would  have  believed  an  equine  baby  could 
possibly  show.  He  had  a  bountiful  supply,  and  his  ca- 
pacity for  drinking  was  as  deep,  though  his  potations 
were  milder  than  the  famous  Knight  of  the  Whistle. 
After  drinking  a  bucketful  he  would  neigh  for  more. 

Our  stallion,  the  descendant  of  aristocratic  parents,  has 


THE    STALLION.  71 

hardly  been  treated  with  the  consideration  he  deserves  ; 
but  he  has  been  as  well  cared  for  as  any  other  part  of  the 
stock.  We  found  him  in  a  southern  clime,  where  he  had 
figured  as  a  good  second-rate  performer  on  the  turf,  run- 
ning long  distances  better  than  short,  and  from  his  size, 
able  to  carry  his  appropriate  weight  in  a  satisfactory 
manner.  He  possesses  most  of  the  attributes  we  were 
looking  for,  and  only  fails  in  minor  points  that  were  not 
considered  essential.  In  selecting  the  mares,  I  was  very 
particular  they  should  be  such  as  were  likely  to  "  nick  " 
well  with  his  form.  The  blood,  as  we  said  before,  in  some 
of  them,  being  rather  closely  allied,  one  or  two  being  half- 
cousins  and  all  very  similar  in  their  remote  crosses.  He 
was  eight  years  old  when  bought,  and  though  very  kind 
under  saddle,  he  had  never  been  harnessed.  When  he 
was  brought  here,  and  after  having  been  walked  a  few 
weeks,  part  of  the  harness  was  put  on  while  in  the  stable, 
adding  it  by  degrees  till  breeching,  traces  and  collar  were 
all  familiar  to  him.  The  reins  were  put  on,  and  he  was 
accustomed  to  a  check,  tightened  by  degrees  till  he  could 
not  get  his  head  below  a  certain  position,  not  high  enough 
to  be  a  constraint  that  would  annoy  him.  He  was  driven 
every  day  for  a  week  with  the  harness  dangling  about, 
and  for  which  he  never  exhibited  any  signs  of  fear.  He 
was  then  placed  in  the  shafts,  and  went  as  quietly  as  if 
that  had  been  the  place  to  which  he  was  always  accus- 
tomed. I  took  the  precaution  to  have  a  kicking-strap 
put  on,  though  the  security  was  needless  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned.  Every  day  the  roads  were  not  too  muddy  he 
was  driven  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  whenever  a  smooth 
part  of  the  road  was  found,  he  was  trotted  as  fast  as  he 
could  go.  Under  this  system,  the  fine  trotting  step  he 
exhibited  has  increased  so  much  that  I  am  confident  he 
can  trot  a  mile  close  to  three  minutes,  and  expect  before 
the  close  of  the  next  season  to  see  him  go  still  faster  in 


72  HOESE    POETKAITUKE. 

proportion,  as  the  track  will  be  made  and  the  exercise  he 
will  get  there  will  be  more  likely  to  benefit  his  speed  than 
all  work  on  the  road. 

I  find  I  am  talking  just  as  if  this  farm  and  stock  were 
no  longer  an  imaginary  one,  and  until  I  made  the  pause, 
was  so  much  carried  away  describing  it,  that  it  was  as 
vivid  as  if  real. 

PBECEPTOK. — There  must  be  some  magical  properties  in 
this  cigar,  akin  to  the  wonderful  eastern  plant  that  made 
captive  the  senses  of  those  who  inhaled  it.  I  have  been 
completely  transported  to  the  land  of  plenty  where  your 
colts  are  frolicking.  That  grand  country  has  been  opened 
since  my  active  days  have  passed,  or  rather  its  capabilities 
were  not  understood  till  a  comparatively  recent  period. 
I  always  associate  the  Mississippi  with  the  bark  canoe  of 
the  Indian,  and  the  prairie  as  a  marshy  plain  almost  lim- 
itless, where  tall  grass  and  flowers  conceal  the  rattle- 
snake and  venomous  Massassagua,  with  the  buffaloes,  in 
countless  myriads,  roaming  over  a  waste  reeking  with 
malaria  that  totally  unfitted  it  for  the  abode  of  civilized 
man.  Of  course,  these  crude  ideas  may  be  far  from  the 
truth,  but  I  find  it  difficult  to  replace  them  with  others, 
and  cannot  but  think  you  might  more  advantageously 
have  located  it  nearer  some  of  the  great  horse  marts  of 
the  country. 

PUPIL. — Those  prairies  that  are  to  you  flat,  marshy 
grounds  unfit  for  anything  save  reptile  life,  are  one  of 
the  grandest  sights  God  has  vouchsafed  to  us  poor  mis- 
erable sinners.  But  you  will  have  to  go  still  further  west 
than  the  right  shore  of  the  mighty  river,  to  see  them  in 
their  glory  at  this  late  day.  Man  has  spoiled  their  beauty 
in  one  sense,  in  cutting  them  up  into  farms,  and  disfigur- 
ing them  with  fences  and  plowed  fields. 

Fancy  yourself  on  an  eminence  overlooking  miles  of 
waving  billowy  verdure.  Near  you  the  deep  green  of  the 


THE    WESTEBN    PKAIEIE8.  73 

grass  is  relieved  by  flowers  of  brilliant  hue,  scattered 
over  the  wild  expanse.  Streams  are  glistening  in  the 
sunlight,  their  banks  fringed  with  elms,  the  drooping, 
spray-like  branches  resting  on  the  willow  tops,  that  seem 
to  be  springing  from  the  crystal  Hood. 

"  The  mild  waves  bathe  the  woods,  the  woods  the  wave  o'erskade." 
You  can  mark  their  course  for  miles  by  the  green  bor- 
•  dering.  The  distant  outline  of  the  hills  looks  like  a  dream 
of  land  when  in  mid-ocean.  A  herd  of  deer  are  quietly 
grazing,  apparently  so  near,  from  the  clearness  of  the  air, 
that  you  mark  every  line  in  their  graceful  forms.  A  soli- 
tary bald  eagle  is  wheeling  in  circles  over  your  head. 

The  few  fleecy  clouds  that  are  sailing  along  so  majesti- 
cally before  the  western  breeze,  throw  deep  shadows  that 
chase  each  other  adown  the  slope  and  across  the  valleys. 
You  are  lost  in  the  immensity  of  space,  the  earth  ap- 
pearing as  boundless  as  the  sky. 

But  you  have  not  seen  half  the  beauties  of  the  prairie, 
unless  so  fortunate  as  to  behold  a  sunset ;  and  to  fully 
appreciate  this  you  must  be  alone. 

When  looking  for  land  on  the  waters  that  empty  into 
the  Missouri,  I  frequently  got  so  far  from  habitations  that 
I  was  obliged  to  spend  the  night  on  the  prairie.  My  horse 
shackled  and  turned  out  to  graze,  I  have  sat  and  watched 
the  sun  as  it  lit  up  the  western  horizon  in  a  blaze  of  glory. 
Sometimes  large  masses  of  cloud  would  lie  in  huge  frag- 
ments, their  edges  at  first  only  gilded,  when,  as  the  sun 
sank,  the  dense  foreground  became  gradually  lighted  up, 
till  the  whole  was  of  such  a  gorgeous  hue  that  the  eye 
was  pained  looking  directly  at  it.  The  reflected  light, 
mellowed  as  it  fell,  gave  the  whole  prairie  the  semblance 
of  being  no  longer  of  earth,  but  happy  hunting  grounds 
lit  up  by  the  shadow  of  God. 

In  this  dreamy,  golden  air,  things  could  be  seen  nearly 
as  distinct  as  in  the  blaze  of  noon-tide,  only  everything 


74  HOESEPORTEAITUEE. 

would  have  a  weird-like  appearance.  The  groves  would 
seem  no  longer  dark-green  masses  of  foliage,  but  floating 
in  the  distance,  as  if  the  topaz-colored  clouds  had 
descended  from  heaven  and  were  resting  on  a  sea  of 
amber,  into  which  emptied  rivers  of  molton  gold. 

I  will  not  tire  you  with  my  dreamings  on  the  prairie, 
but  give  you  some  solid  reasons  for  preferring  the  rich 
soil  of  Iowa  to  that  of  any  other  Northern  State,  as  a 
place  to  breed  fine  trotting  horses. 

The  surface  of  Iowa  is  generally  rolling,  in  some  places 
it  might  be  termed  hilly,  which  not  only  insures  proper 
drainage,  but  the  difference  of  level  permitting  the  sub- 
terraneous reservoirs  to  break  out  in  springs, — the  most 
convenient  way  of  obtaining  a  supply  of  pure  water.  A 
rolling  surface  is  also  better  for  the  production  of  the 
finer  varieties  of  grasses,  which  hardly  ever  grow  on 
an  extended  level.  These  are  not  the  only  advantages. 
Horses  bred  on  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire,  and  other  coun- 
tries similar  to  them,  have  large  flat  feet  with  thin  horn, 
their  bones  are  porous,  and  the  carcass  too  heavy  for 
the  legs.  The  dry  soil  gives  the  reverse  —  well-shaped 
feet,  with  the  horn  smooth,  tough  and  elastic,  the  bones 
dense  as  ivory,  and  the  muscles,  all  being  called  in  ser- 
vice running  up  and  down  the  hills,  well  developed. 

Though  nearly  all  the  very  fast  horses  eventually  find 
their  way  to  New  York,  there  are  other  markets  where 
remunerative  prices  are  given  for  those  of  every  grade. 

Chicago  is  conveniently  reached, — that  wonderful  place 
that  has  grown  upon  the  marshy  shore  of  the  lake  so 
rapidly,  that  men  now  living,  of  middle  age,  have  hunted 
wolves  and  shot  ducks  where  now  stately  edifices  reach 
for  miles.  The  marble  walls  of  the  magnificent  Opera- 
house  enclose  ground  where,  forty  years  ago,  the  fringed 
alder  sheltered  the  nest  of  the  aquatic  fowl.  Chicago, 
however,  will  merit  more  attention  than  can  be  given 


WESTEEK    CITIES.  75 

now.  When  we  get  our  horses  ready,  I  must  insist  on 
your,  accompanying  me  to  the  races  at  that  place,  where  I 
will  insure  you  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  hosts  of  ad- 
mirers the  fast  horse  has  there  ;  when  you  will  "see 
sights  "  that  110  city  on  the  face  of  the  globe  can  equal. 

The  river  that  almost  washes  the  eastern  line  of  the 
stud  farm,  furnishes  the  easiest  and  safest  method  of 
transporting  horses,  and  it  does  not  require  a  map 
to  remember  the  grand  towns  lying  along  its  shores. 
St.  Louis,  the  "  King  City "  of  the  West,  with  its  miles 
of  levee  and  hundreds  of  steamboats  ;  Memphis,  New  Or- 
leans, &c.,  &c.  But  as  all  these  places  have  been  marked 
to  be  visited  during  the  fall  and  winter  campaign,  I  will 
say  nothing  at  present  about  them  ;  and  as  our  stipulated 
nooning  is  now  ended,  I  am  anxious  to  show  you  the  ju- 
venile division  now  awaiting  your  scrutiny  at  the  barn. 

PBECEPTOS. — I  shall  certainly  take  great  pleasure  in 
making  the  trip  you  contemplate,  if  your  horses  turn 
out  good  enough  to  travel  with.  All  my  ideas  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  and  it  will  be  a  novelty 
to  see  the  portion  you  extol  so  highly;  and  though  I  can  see 
nothing  that  will  overbalance  the  benefits  easily  obtained 
here,  will  look  with  a  favorable  eye  on  the  country  where 
you  have  located  your  home.  I  remember,  many  years 
ago,  falling  in  with  an  old  sallow-faced  woman  who  had 
just  returned  from  the  West.  She  summed  up  a  not  very 
nattering  description  of  the  country  with  the  remark, 
that  "  it  was  an  amazin'  fine  country  for  men  and  dogs, 
but  an  onkimmon  hard  one  for  wimmin  and  horses." 


CHAPTEB  VI. 

THE  COLTS — TRAINING  TRACKS — ABOUT  HORSES  BREAKING — 
PEDIGREE  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  KING. 

PUPIL. — Boys,  bring  out  the  colts.  We  will  have  them 
all  out  at  once  where  you  can  take  a  general  view ;  and 
without  wishing  to  appear  egotistical  in  praising  my  own 
stock,  must  say  they  are  of  better  appearance  than  a  ma- 
jority of  trotters.  They  are  all  half  bred,  and  some  of 
them  have  as  pure  a  pedigree,  if  not  as  fashionable,  as 
either  Asteroid  or  Kentucky.  This  one  may  have  seen 
too  many  summers  to  be  fairly  termed  a  colt.  In  fact, 
the  question  of  "can  a  filly  have  a  foal?"  once  pro- 
pounded by  "a  young  turfman,"  can  be  settled  in  her 
case,  as  she  .was  a  mother  before  shedding  all  of  her  milk- 
teeth.  This  circumstance  prevented  her  being  trained, 
and  with  the  exception  of  a  little  work  when  three  years 
old,  she  is  not  much  better  acquainted  with  how  to  handle 
herself  in  a  trot  than  the  others,  several  years  younger. 

As  I  previously  remarked,  I  will  be  obliged  if  you  will 
assist  me  in  naming  the  neophytes,  though  I  have  done 
so  usually  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  not  expecting  they 
would  always  wear  their  titles.  But  as  with  the  young  aspi- 
rants in  chivalry,  the  names  would  answer  till  they  had 
shown  by  their  devoirs  that  they  were  worthy  the  fitting 
ornaments  of  golden  spurs  and  a  distinctive  name.  On  a 
beautiful  morning  the  first  of  May,  I  found. this  mare  stand- 
ing by  her  mother.  The  bright  natal  morning  suggested  a 
name  of  itself,  and  May-Flower,  Queen  of  the  May,  May- 


THE    COLT,    HAY.  77 

Queen,  May-Day,  all  presented  themselves.  The  last  was 
finally  settled  on,  abbreviated  to  simply  May.  She  was 
the  first  of  the  Falcon's  get,  and  I  had  awaited  with  a 
great  deal  of  anxiety  to  see  how  his  first-born  would  ap- 
pear. She  was  a  crooked,  big-jointed  foal,  with  the  head 
and  eye  of  a  gazelle,  and  I  need  not  add,  pleased  me, 
though  many  called  her  too  long  in  the  pasterns,  and  a 
homely,  ill-shaped  brute  every  way. 

PRECEPTOR. — This  is  truly  a  very  fine  lot  of  colts,  and 
I  do  not  wonder  you  take  pride  in  showing  them.  Had  I 
not  been  better  informed,  I  would  have  taken  them  for  a 
stable  of  stake  colts,  and  would  have  expected  to  see  the 
paraphernalia  of  racing  hung  up  in  their  stalls.  No  one 
would  ever  have  thought  from  the  appearance  of  this 
mare  that  she  had  performed  the  fond  and  pleasing  du- 
ties of  maternity. 

She  certainly  is  no  discredit  to  her  sire,  though  she 
falls  greatly  below  him  in  perfection  of  form.  Her  fore- 
hand is  superb,  but  the  loin  lacks  in  strength,  her  ragged 
hips  making  it  look  worse  than  it  really  is.  The  worst 
fault  I  see  is  her  hind  legs  below  the  hock  :  they  are  a 
trifle  cut  away,  and  have  not  the  set  that  quite  pleases 
me.  They  are  a  little  too  crooked,  and  too  much  after 
the  pattern  called  "cow  hocked."  The  hock  itself  is 
good,  which  also  can  be  said  of  the  canon,  pastern  and 
foot. 

I  shall  be  agreeably  disappointed  if  we  do  not  need  the 
protection  of  boots  on  these  crooked  shanks.  As  to  her 
name,  "  handsome  is  as  handsome  does,"  and  we  will  let 
her  keep  her  appropriate  title  till  we  think  her  worthy  of 
a  better.  The  name  itself  is  good  enough,  and  I  would 
not  suggest  a  change  had  it  not  been  given  to  several  "be- 
fore her  day. 

PUPIL. — You  caine  very  near  the  truth,  thinking  this 
animal  would  need  some  protection.  In  the  little  I  have 

4* 


78  HORSE    PORTRAITUE.E. 

driven  her  she  has  troubled  me  by  cutting  between  the 
hoof  and  pastern  joint.  I  ascribed  it  to  breaking  on  a 
half-mile  that  had  four  rather  sharp  quarter-circles  for 
tuins.  When  going  round  these  she  would  sidle  against 
the  near  shaft,  trotting  as  you  frequently  see  a  dog,  plac- 
ing the  off  hind  foot  between  the  fore-legs,  being  more 
inclined  to  do  it  when  not  at  full  speed.  I  have  tried  a 
variety  of  boots,  but  none  seemed  effectual.  I  am  con- 
vinced the  sharp  turns  were  the  cause,  as  I  drove  her  for 
a  time  on  the  road  when  she  never  brushed  a  hair. 

This  one  next  her  is  also  by  the  Falcon,  her  dam  by  a 
Morgan  horse,  her  grand-dam  an  Ohio  mare  with  some 
pretensions  to  breeding.  You  will  not  be  able  to  discern 
any  of  the  Morgan  taint  in  her  appearance,  the  purer 
stream  having  quite  obliterated  the  mongrel.  She  skims 
over  the  ground  so  easily,  and  with  so  little  apparent 
effort  that  I  have  named  her  Hirondelle.  Delle  is  her 
stable-appellation.  She  is  very  highly  strung,  but  docile 
as  a  pet  dog. 

The  only  trouble  she  has  occasioned  me  is  her  anxiety 
to  overdo  herself.  When  asked  to  trot  fast  she  will  rush  at 
it  as  if  she  were  emulating  Flora  Temple  in  her  electric 
nights  of  speed  ;  of  course,  not  having  the  same  conirol 
of  her  limbs,  the  brush  is  only  a  short  distance,  when  she 
goes  with  the  same  determination  into  a  'run,  and  a 
person  not  acquainted  with  her  would  be  sure  she  was 
going  to  run  away.  A  strong  pull  will  keep  her  from 
breaking  for  a  little  while,  but  I  was  so  fearful  of  getting 
more  of  these  torments  that  I  never  would  pull  against 
her,  hoping  that  time  would  correct  the  bad  habit. 

PRECEPTOR. — This  little  brown  is  certainly  a  beauty,  and 
a  rare  feather  in  the  plume  of  Falcon.  Her  form  is  al- 
most as  faultless  as  his,  although  so  widely  different.  The 
name  is  very  good,  though  if  I  had  owned  her,  she  should 
have  been  called  Fenella,  after  the  sprite  who  was  so  airy 


PBIVATE    TKAINIXG     TRACKS.  79 

in  her  movements.  You  have  acted  judiciously  in  not 
tugging  at  her,  as  with  her  resolution  she  would  have 
been  desperate  in  her  efforts  to  get  rid  of  the  torture  of 
the  bit.  We  will  "  bide  our  time  "  with  her,  and  my  word 
for  it,  she  will  well  repay  for  the  probation. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  the  short  turns  of  the  half-mile 
track  had  a  good  deal  to  do  in  teaching  May  the  pro- 
voking dog  movement  you  speak  of.  These  half-mile 
courses  are  the  bane  of  many  a  good  trotter,  and  unfit  as 
they  are  for  a  horse  that  has  acquired  his  gait,  they  are 
still  worse  to  teach  a  colt  that,  as  yet,  does  not  know  how 
to  handle  his  feet.  In  making  private  training  tracks, 
there  is  not  much  necessity  for  paying  great  attention  to 
grading.  So  that  the  surface  is  smooth,  the  undulations 
may  be  beneficial,  and  the  work  that  is  generally  put  in  a 
half-mile  track  would  make  one  double  the  length.  Neither 
is  there  any  need  of  emulating  the  courses  where  many 
horses  are  expected  to  start  in  a  race ;  and  if  a  man  were 
to  offer  to  build  me  one  for  nothing,  I  would  restrict  it  to 
a  width  so  that  there  would  only  be  room  for  two  horses 
to  trot  abreast.  The  advantage  of  a  narrow  track  is  that 
you  are  compelled  to  teach  your  horses  to  recover  from  a 
break  without  being  swung  over  a  width  of  forty  feet. 
This  capacity  for  catching  the  trot  without  deviating  from 
a  straight  line,  is  of  vital  importance  in  a  race,  giving  im- 
mense advantage  over  a  horse  accustomed  to  be  snatched 
and  yawed  all  over  the  track.  On  almost  every  farm  fit 
for  breeding  purposes,  there  is  ground  sufficient  to  get  a 
mile,  provided  the  maker  is  not  afraid  of  going  up  and 
down  moderate  elevations  and  depressions.  It  is  imma- 
terial about  the  distance  being  exactly  the  mile,  and 
should  be  governed  by  and  adapted  to  the  configura- 
tion of  the  ground.  The  best  form  is  to  have  the  sides 
straight  and  parallel,  connected  by  a  semi-circle  at  the 
ends  ;  the  curve  as  easy  as  can  be  got,  the  outside  raised 


80  HORSE     POETEAITUEE. 

a  good  deal  the  highest.  The  soil  that  would  suit  me 
best  for  a  training  track  would  be  a  sandy  loam,  free 
from  stones  and  gravel. 

PUPIL. — Wait  till  you  visit  the  glorious  West,  when  I 
will  show  you  the  soil,  of  all  others,  best  adapted  for  a 
track.  I  will  defer  my  description  of  it  till  we  come  to 
making  the  track  on  the  place  where  I  am  turning  the 
thorough-bred  into  trotters.  The  slight  antipathy  you 
have  to  the  experiment,  I  hope  will  be  done  away  with 
as  you  become  better  acquainted  with  these  colts  and 
their  performances  before  the  summer  is  ended.  This 
filly  is  by  Endorser,  dam  by  Boston.  She  ran  very  cred- 
itably when  two  years  old,  and  has  now  just  been  broken 
to  harness.  She  shows  a  trotting  step  that  is  a  good  deal 
like  the  one  described  in  the  old  English  song  : 

"  Come,  I  ride  as  good  a  trotting  horse  as  any  in  the  town, 
Trot  you  sixteen  miles  within  the  hour,  I'll  lay  you  fifty  pounds, 
He  gathers  up  his  knees  so  smart,  and  tucks  his  haunches  in,"  &c. 

She  is  as  handsome  as  Delle,  and  has  the  advantage  of 
being  a  color  that  is  much  more  showy.  It  is  rare  in- 
deed, common  as  chestnut  horses  are,  to  find  one  of  this 
bright  golden  color  that  looks  like  sun-painting,  the  gor- 
geous day-beams  absorbed  and  reflected  from  the  silken 
hair.  The  two  white  hind  legs,  and  the  broad  stripe  run- 
ning so  truly  down  the  face,  relieve  and  make  the  brilliant 
color  still  more  to  be  admired. 

Before  leaving  home  I  was  showing  her  to  a  friend, 
who  takes  great  delight  in  driving  the  finest  and  fastest 
trotters, — and,  by  the  way,  is  the  one  who  gave  me  the 
cigars  you  pronounce  so  good, — remarking  to  him  what 
he  would  consider  her  worth  if  she  could  trot  in  "  thirty." 
His  answer  was,  if  he  owned  her,  and  she  could  trot  in 
that  time,  or  a  little  faster,  there  was  no  man  in  the  United 
States  rich  enough  to  buy  her.  He  had  often  argued  with 
me  on  the  uselessness  of  the  race  horse,  but  he  had  to 


FALCON'S   COLTS.  81 

admit  that,  for  beauty  of  form  and  the  high  quality  ex- 
hibited by  this  filly,  it  was  needless  to  look  for  them  in 
any  other  family.  My  asking  your  aid  in  naming  these 
colts  you  will  think  like  an  invitation  to  dinner  the  day 
after  the  event,  all  of  them  being  already  known  by  some 
title,  yet  as  they  have  never  figured  in  record  or  story,  I 
will  be  glad  to  change  them,  should  you  oblige  me  by 
offering  anything  fitter.  I  call  her  Mavourneen. 

PBECEPTOR. — A  very  appropriate  and  significant  name 
for  this  young  beauty — a  type  of  equine  harmony,  as  you 
truly  remarked,  only  found  in  the  thoroughbred,  with  ten 
generations  of  pure  blood  flowing  in  its  veins. 

She  appears  as  conscious  of  her  noble  ancestry  as  the 
tartaned  chieftain,  whose  pedigree  runs  back  to  the  days 
of  Fingal,  and  who  stalks  over  the  heath  of  his  native 
mountain,  as  if  all  the  heroic  deeds  of  his  illustrious  pro- 
genitors were  within  his  own  reach,  and  could  be  outdone 
by  the  strength  of  his  arm  and  valor  of  his  heart,  requir- 
ing only  another  Ossian  to  sing  him  to  glory. 

Should  this  filly's  temper  be  in  keeping  with  her  form, 
the  name  will  be  still  more  suitable,  and  she  will  then  be 
our  darling. 

PUPIL. — This  is  another  colt  of  the  Falcon's.  Her  four 
white  feet  and  blazed  face  induced  me  to  call  her  Oriole, 
and  certainly  no  animal  was  ever  more  fancifully  marked. 
The  old  prejudice  against  "  four  white  feet  and  a  white 
nose  "  has  been  so  effectually  done  away  with  by  some  of 
the  most  noted  horses,  that  I  am  not  afraid  to  admit  my 
fondness  for  it,  when  so  beautifully  penciled,  as  is  the  case 
with  this  filly.  When  Lexington  run  his  match  against 
the  famed  Sallie  Waters,  some  would-be  wit  shouted  to 
take  him  off  the  track,  quoting  the  old  couplet.  He  took 
off  the  track  many  a  dollar  which  the  mare's  backers  so 
lavishly  loaded  her  with  at  a  hundred  to  fifty.  I  saw  him 
in  the  show-ring  at  the  St.  Louis  Fair  in  1859,  and  have 


82  HOKSE    POKTKAITUKE. 

lately  had  the  pleasure  of  reading  a  piece  of  poetry  to 
commemorate  that  event.  The  perusal  of  that  pleased 
me,  finding  I  was  not  the  only  one  who  had  been  struck 
with  the  grandeur  of  his  appearance,  heightened  by  the 
darkened  orbs,  which  was  the  only  reason  given  for  in- 
vesting an  inferior,  though  still  noble,  animal  with  the 
blue  ribbon.  His  groom  tried  to  lead  him  in  alone,  but 
he  dashed  about  so  wildly  among  the  trees  outside  the 
amphitheatre,  that  the  restraining  force  of  two  stalwart 
men  was  necessary  to  keep  him  from  injuring  himself ; 
and  when  the  multitude  greeted  his  appearance  with  tu- 
multuous shouts  and  frantic  clapping  of  hands,  he  stood 
a  moment  immovable,  every  muscle  quivering  with  energy, 
his  glossy  coat  glistening  in  the  sunlight,  necked  with 
spots  of  white  foam  ;  the  swelling  veins  appearing  as  if 
they  would  break  through  the  thin  covering  which  hid 
neither  them  nor  the  tension  of  the  muscles,  now  rigid  as 
steel  bars.  It  was  hardly  for  the  space  of  a  second  he 
thus  stood,  striving  against  the  loss  of  vision  as  if  he 
would  strain  the  useless  eye-balls  out  of  their  sockets, 
when  he  bounded  as  though  the  trumpet  had  sounded  to 
start  him  in  another  victorious  race.  These  shouts  to  him 
were  familiar,  as  they  had  before  reverberated  on  his  ear 
on  the  springy  Metairie  or  Classical  Association  grounds 
at  Lexington,  and  he  could  only  associate  them  with  vic- 
tories won,  knowing  the  power  was  still  in  his  sinewy 
limbs  to  repeat  the  feat.  The  darkened  veil  hid  that  vast 
assemblage  from  his  sight,  but  as  the  garlands  of  bright 
flowers  woven  by  the  fair  fingers  of  the  daughters  of  the 
sunny  South  were  placed  on  his  neck,  and  chaplets  of 
every  hue  graced  his  brow,  he  became  quieter,  as  if  aware 
it  was  the  guerdon  due  his  former  prowess.  He  strode 
out  of  the  ring  with  elastic  step,  his  unrivalled  pasterns 
enabling  him  to  walk  as  gracefully  as  though  he  could  see 
the  way. 


BKEAKING.  83 

This  filly's  dam  I  knew  nothing  about,  she  having  been 
fpnnd  astray  on  the  large  bottom  at  the  junction  of  a 
river  with  the  Mississippi.  As  you  will  perceive,  her  form 
is  good,  though  her  temper  is  more  sluggish  than  any 
other  of  her  sire's  get.  When  first  harnessed,  she  seemed 
to  know  just  what  was  wanted  of  her;  and  anxious  to 
obey,  she  takes  very  naturally  to  trotting,  possessing  a 
right  handy  step;  but  when  forced  to  go  faster,  will  roll 
and  hitch,  trying  her  best  to  go  as  fast  as  wanted,  before 
she  leaves  her  feet. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  would  not  be  surprised  if  this  strongly 
made,  quiet  filly,  made  the  fastest  or  rather  the  most  re- 
liable trotter  in  the  string.  From  her  general  appearance 
she  has  undoubtedly  plenty  of  resolution  when  aroused. 
Her  docility  of  temper  is  a  great  assistance  already  gained, 
as  those  that  are  as  nervous  as  Delle  and  Mavourneen 
require  very  careful  usage  to  overcome  its  bad  effects. 
You  must  be  careful  not  to  spoil  the  naturally  handy  step 
by  forcing  her  to  what  you  yet  cannot  expect  her  to  do. 
A  good  breaker  is  a  great  advantage  in  a  race  when  you 
can  force  him  along  at  the  topmost  rate  without  being 
fearful  of  the  consequences  of  leaving  his  feet,  which  if 
he  does  is  no  detriment.  But  we  all  know  how  trying  it 
is  for  the  judges  to  withstand  the  clamor  of,  "  See  him 
run;"  "He  gained  every  time  he  broke;"  "Set  him  back 
according  to  rule,  and  he  will  not  win  the  heat."  I  am 
well  aware  that  very  few,  even  among  the  good  breakers, 
gain  anything  by  breaking,  if  the  drivers  do  their  duty  by 
endeavoring  to  catch  them  at  once.  Yet  it  is  a  matter  of 
great  annoyance  to  owners,  and  judges  as  well  as  drivers, 
to  listen  to  the  complaints  of  those  who,  having  at  the 
outside  five  dollars  invested  in  the  race,  make  more  noise 
and  disturbance  than  others  losing  thousands.  I  there- 
fore always  try  to  teach  my  horses  not  to  break,  but  to 
depend  on  a  steady,  constant  trot,  that  will  carry  them 


84:  HOESE    PORTRAITURE. 

to  their  more  ambitious  rivals  before  they  get  down  the 
home  stretch.  This  filly,  if  judiciously  driven,  will  never 
know  anything  about  breaking,  and  time  must  be  taken 
with  her  as  well  as  the  headstrong  Delle,  so  that  she  will 
not  roll  and  hitch  behind, — a  gait  easier  acquired  than  for- 
gotten. As  to  the  christening,  it  is  easier  to  find  fault 
with  a  thing  than  to  mend  it.  I  suppose,  as  you  say,  the 
white  and  black  coat  gave  you  the  idea  of  Oriole,  as  well 
as  keeping  up  the  ornithological  names  in  the  family. 
Not  being  familiar  with  a  science  that  delighted  Wilson 
and  Audubon,  I  cannot  say  how  appropriate  it  is.  She  is 
marked  more  like  a  bobolink  than  any  other  bird  with 
which  I  am  acquainted,  but  that  name  would  not  sound  as 
smoothly  as  the  one  she  wears.  The  nest  colt  is  rather 
a  different  looking  customer  from  the  rest ;  he  has  not 
shed  his  coat  yet,  and  is  very  thin.  Quite  a  difference 
from  the  others,  who  are  so  plump  and  well  fed.  You 
must  have  picked  him  up  where  feed  was  scarce. 

PUPIL. — This  rough-coated,  starved  looking  three-year- 
old  is,  after  the  Falcon,  my  chief  favorite,  and  in  place  of 
picking  him  up  at  some  cross  road,  I  watched  for  his  ap- 
pearance into  this  world  with  as  much  anxiety  as  the  lover 
does  for  the  approach  of  his  mistress.  When  his  mother 
was  bred  to  the  Falcon,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  the  pro- 
duct would  not  only  be  A  No.  1,  but  would  be  a  practical 
exemplification  of  the  theory  I  have  advanced  for  many-  a 
year.  She  is  a  bay  mare,  of  rather  more  than  the  average 
size,  say  15|  hands,  and  is  very  high  form.  Her  sire  was 
Alex.  Churchill,  a  horse  that  had 'a  high  reputation  in 
Kentucky,  and  well  he  might,  having  run  a  four-mile  heat 
in  7:41 — with  one  exception,  the  best  time  ever  made 
there  up  to  this  day.  He  was  by  imported  Zinganee, 
dam  by  Bertrand.  The  mare's  dam  was  by  Cherokee  ; 
her  grand-dam  a  mare  that  always  threw  a  winner.  This 
pedigree  shows  her  to  have  several  crosses  of  Sir  Archy  ; 


AWILDCOLT.  85 

and  as  the  Falcon  also  runs  back  to  the  same  distin- 
guished source,  through  Lady  Lightfoot,  Henry,  Bacchus 
and  young  Janus.  She  was  a  race  nag  of  no  ordinary  ca- 
pacity, beating,  among  others,  Little  Flea,  Lithgow  and 
Diamond.  Her  trotting  step  is  very  fine,  swinging  off 
with  such  a  loose,  open  gait  that  only  needs  cultivation 
to  make  fast.  When  this  fellow  eventually  made  his  de- 
but, my  anxiety  was  put  at  rest  so  far  as  shape  was  con- 
cerned. There  never  was  a  better  made  foal-  dropped. 
It  being  my  usual  custom  to  handle  the  foal  from  the 
very  outset,  I  made  my  approach  cautiously,  but  never 
deer  or  untamed  stag  was  more  frightened  than  he.  He 
rushed  at  the  sides  of  the  box  as  though  he  would  break 
them  down.  Thinking,  if  once  cornered  and  caught,  he 
would  be  likely  to  forget  his  great  fright,  I  got  hold  of  him 
and  sincerely  believe  if  I  had  held  him  ten  minutes  his 
heart  would  have  burst.  His  efforts  were  as  frantic  as  the 
struggles  of  a  madman,  and  after  releasing  him  his  heart 
beat  so  violently,  that  it  shook  his  frame.  As  he  grew 
older  he  became  worse,  and  if  a  person  went  into  the 
stall,  no  matter  how  cautiously,  his  excitement  was  in- 
tense. When  the  mare  was  turned  out  to  pasture,  he 
would  not  mingle  with  the  other  colts,  and  if  he  chose 
to  play,  it  was  always  by  himself.  When  his  mother  was 
brought  up  to  feed,  he  stalked  majestically  in  the  rear, 
every  motion  showing  that  he  was  fearful  of  falling  into 
an  ambush,  and  was  on  the  alert  to  prevent  it.  His  dam 
proved  a  poor  suckler,  and  though  bruised  oats  and  car- 
rots were  fed  her,  she  would  not  even  nibble  at  the  tempt- 
ing food.  That  fall  he  was  thin  in  flesh,  but  rather  above 
the  ordinary  size,  and  as  the  mare  was  not  in  foal,  I  de- 
termined to  let  him  suck  through  the  winter.  The  box 
was  roomy,  and,  after  he  became  familiarized  with  living 
there,  I  placed  a  feed  box  out  of  the  reach  of  the  mare, 
and  fixed  her  own  too  high  for  him  to  reach  it.  He  would 


86  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

never  touch  the  food  if  he  thought  he  was  observed,  and 
I  have  watched  him  from  a  position  where  I  knew  he  could 
not  see  me,  but  never  during  the  whole  winter  detected 
him  feeding.  The  mess  that  was  put  in  the  box  would  be 
gone  by  morning  ;  and  the  amount  increased  till  he  was 
eating  as  much  or  more  than  any  colt  on  the  place,  though 
he  still  kept  poor.  The  following  summer  was  much  the 
same  ;  he  keeping  up  his  dignity  by  never  joining  the 
other  colts,  feeding  alongside  his  mother  ;  when  she  went 
among  the  other  mares,  he  kept  aloof,  as  if  there  was  deg- 
radation in  the  association.  That  winter  he  had  the  box 
to  himself,  but  no  change  took  place  in  either  his  appear- 
ance or  habits. 

Towards  spring,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  halter-break 
him,  and  taking  advantage  of  a  deep  fall  of  snow,  so  that 
he  would  be  less  likely  to  injure  himself,  I  had  to  get 
the  assistance  of  two  men  to  get  the  halter  on  him.  We 
thought  it  the  best  way  to  Bareyize,  or  rather,  to  place 
the  merit  where  it  belongs,  follow  Dennis  Offut's  plan,  but 
here  was  a  case  where  it  was  apparent  it  would  not  do. 
When  laid  down,  after  the  most  tremendous  struggle  I 
ever  witnessed,  you  could  see  he  would  never  succumb 
till  life  was  extinct.  Every  muscle  was  swollen,  the  eyes 
bloodshot,  and  his  whole  appearance  like  a  horse  suffering 
with  lockja',7.  I  undid  the  straps,  put  a  long  rope  on  the 
halter,  determined  that  if  he  could  not  be  broken  without 
these  much  vaunted  appliances  he  should  remain  as  he 
was.  He  sprung  away  as  far  as  the  rope  would  allow,  and 
when  found  he  could  get  no  further,  he  commenced  walk- 
ing in  a  circle,  his  eye  never  for  an  instant  neglecting  to 
watch  my  movements. 

I  continued  this  treatment  from  day  to  day,  until  he 
would  follow,  but  always  at  the  extreme  length  of  the 
rope.  Spring-time  came,  and  I  was  away  from  home  till 
July.  It  was  not  thought  safe  to  allow  him  to  run  in  the 


"KING    OF    THE    GHOSTS."  87 

field,  so  lie  was  confined  to  a  small  paddock,  and  fed  all  the 
grain  and  hay  he  would  eat.  When  I  came  home,  I  led 
him  out  with  the  long  rein,  and  he  would  pick  the  clover 
blades  if  you  kept  at  a  proper  distance,  but  as  yet  would 
not  suffer  the  least  approach  to  familiarity.  Now  he  has 
so  far  relaxed  his  vigilance  that  you  can  place  your  hand 
on  his  neck,  but  any  further  advances  are  repelled  with  a 
resentment  that  is  determination  itself.  The  long  jour- 
ney in  the  cars  has  proved  beneficial  in  partially  subduing 
this  refractory  temper.  The  novelty  of  the  situation  has 
given  him  some  new  ideas  which  I  hope  can  be  taken  ad- 
vantage of.  While  in  the  cars  he  would  suffer  a  surcingle 
to  be  laid  011  his  back,  a  proceeding  which  would  have 
made  him  frantic  at  home.  I  am  convinced  that  it  is 
neither  timidity  nor  fear,  as  he  never  even  started  at  the 
approach  of  the  locomotive,  and  preserved  his  equanimity 
on  the  most  trying  occasions.  I  am  well  satisfied  that, 
when  once  broken,  he  will  be  reliable,  and  the  very  quali- 
ties that  have  troubled  me  so  much  will  prove  of  vast 
benefit  when  placed  under  proper  control.  One  great 
argument  advanced  against  the  thoroughbred  is  their 
irritability  and  high  temper.  That  they  possess  the  last 
qualification,  I  am  ready  to  admit,  and  without  it,  would 
not  be  of  the  same  value.  Their  vices  and  irrascibility 
have,  in  ninety-nine  cases  in  a  hundred,  resulted  from  im- 
proper breaking.  I  have  full  faith  we  can  teach  this  colt 
what  we  want  him  to  learn,  and  have  brought  him  along,  as 
I  would  not  trust  him  in  other  hands.  My  youngest  little 
girl  dubbed  him  "  King  of  the  Ghosts,"  and  when  asked 
the  reasons  for  naming  him,  said  he  would  not  play  with 
the  other  colts,  and  looked  just  as  the  horse  did  that  was 
buried  under  the  big  cottonwood  tree  ;  that  the  fairies 
must  certainly  have  brought  him,  as  he  neither  looked  or 
acted  like  a  human  horse,  being  determined  that  mortal 
straps  or  harness  should  never  interfere  with  his  free  mo- 


88  HORSE    POETRAITUBE. 

tions.  We  have  retained  the  King  part,  and  I  am  not 
without  hopes  that  "  of  trotters  "  may  yet  be  added.  I 
have  now  paraded  all  the  inmates  of  the  trial  stable,  and, 
if  the  description  has  been  tedious,  you  may  congratulate 
yourself  like  the  man  just  recovered  from  the  small-pox, 
that  although  he  was  badly  scarred  and  seamed  he  would 
not  have  to  go  through  with  it  again. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  do  not  say  from  courtesy  alone  that  your 
descriptions  have  not  wearied  me.  Your  enthusiasm  in 
all  that  pertains  to  the  horse,  even  your  fervid  admiration 
of  the  blood  horse,  that  leads  you  to  such  a  length  that 
some  of  your  positions  will  be  untenable,  please  me.  When 
we  have  leisure  time,  as  we  sit  on  the  verandah  and  smoke, 
you  must  continue  your  history  of  the  Iowa  farm.  As  for 
this  young  scion  of  nobility,  I  have  been  examining  him 
more  closely  while  you  were  recounting  his  history,  and 
find  him  a  very  different  animal  from  what  my  first  im- 
pression was.  There  is  certainly  no  flesh  in  the  way  to 
hide  the  study  of  the  osseous  structure.  He  will  never 
equal  his  sire  in  justness  of  proportion,  though  he  has 
more  of  his  peculiar  build  than  any  of  the  rest  of  the 
colts.  I  will  not  offer  a  word  of  advice  as  to  breaking 
him:  convinced  that  your  experience  in  that  line  has  been 
greater  than  mine.  I  will  look  on  with  interest,  as  he  is 
undoubtedly  as  hard  a  customer  as  could  be  found;  and 
if  you  succeed  in  making  him  "  gentle  and  reliable,"  there 
is  nothing  in  the  way  of  making  him  a  trotter. 

I  must  now  bid  you  good-bye,  having  business  in  town. 
By  the  time  the  horses  have  had  their  morning  walk  I 
will  be  here,  when  we  will  take  the  Falcon,  Never  Mind, 
and  Jane,  to  the  shop,  and  have  shoes  put  on  that  will  do 
for  them  to  commence  work  in. 

Have  the  boys  wet  some  tow  and  place  in  their  feet  to 
soften  the  horn,  and  only  walk  them  an  hour. 


GHAPTEE    VII. 

WALKING  AND  SHOEING. 

PRECEPTOB. — Good  morning,  scholar.  Providence  has 
again  blessed  us  with  another  fine  morning, — so  fine  that 
my  heart  responds  with  gratitude  to  the  Great  Father  for 
the  many  beautiful  mornings  he  has  permitted  us  to  enjoy. 
This  "  sweet  habit  of  existence  "  is  doubly  sweet  when  the 
merry  month  of  May  proves  so  lovely.  I  have  thought  the 
English  poets  have  given  it  too  much  prominence  over  the 
month  of  June.  There  is  probably  a  difference  in  their 
climate  that  gives  it  the  precedence,  or  they  would  not 
have  been  so  unanimous  in  their  expressions  of  fondness. 
One  of  the  grandest  of  that  grand  body  thus  apostro- 
phises it : — 

"  For  thee,  sweet  month,  the  groves  green  liveries  wear, 
If  not  the  first,  the  fairest  of  the  year  ; 
For  thee  the  graces  lead  the  dancing  hours, 
And  Nature's  ready  pencil  paints  the  flowers." 

PUPIL. — I  shall  certainly  coincide  with  you  in  preferring 
June  to  May,  in  our  northern  latitudes  ;  but  the  air  is  as 
balmy  and  fragrant  tliis  morning  as  could  be  wished,  and 
the  budding  flowers  and  springing  leaves  are  greatly  to 
be  admired.  The  remembrance  of  the  stinging  blasts  of 
winter  is  yet  fresh  in  our  memory,  and  the  contrast  height- 
ens the  enjoyment.  In  England,  the  spring  opening  earlier 
than  here,  May  has  usurped  all  of  the  praises  due  its 
flowery  reign.  Ancient  customs  have  marked  this  month 
as  proper  for  the  return  of  gaiety,  partially  suspended 
during  the  dreary  period  of  winter.  The  Christmas  fes- 


90  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

tivities  partake  of  a  religions  character;  but  now  Venus 
and  Flora  are  the  presiding  deities,  when  young  hearts 
pay  their  orisons  at  the  shrine  of  the  first  and  seek  the 
aid  of  the  latter  to  be  more  refined  and  tasteful  in  the 
display  of  their  devotions.  To  continue  your  quotation 
from  "  Glorious  John  :" — 

"  The  sprightly  May  commands  our  youth  to  keep 
The  vigils  of  their  night,  and  breaks  their  sleep : 
Each  gentle  breast  with  kindly  warmth  she  moves — 
Inspires  new  flames,  revives  extinguished  loves." 

One  great  advantage  we  possess  in  our  climate  is,  that 
there  is  no  time  of  the  year  that  a  reasonable  man  can 
well  find  fault  with.  Foggy  November  is  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  months  in  the  year — at  least  in  the  West, — and, 
in  fact,  the  biting  cold  of  the  winter  is  only  for  a  few  days 
at  a  time  ;  in  the  intervening  portions,  the  air  gives  a  zest 
to  the  sleigh-ride,  mantling  the  cheek  of  beauty  with  roses 
that  outdo  those  of  the  growth  of  this  genial  month. 

We  have  followed  your  directions,  and  the  horses  are 
now  ready  to  start  for .  the  blacksmith  shop.  If  it  is  a 
distance  that  will  be  inconvenient  to  walk,  we  will  harness 
Falcon  to  the  road  wagon. 

PEECEPTOK. — It  is  only  a  short  mile  from  here,  and  the 
walk  will  do  us  as  much  good  as  the  horses.  The  walk  will 
also  enable  me  to  give  you  my  ideas  in  regard  to  that  exer- 
cise. When  in  my  boyhood's  days  I  was  with  the  stable  of 
race  horses,  all  the  exercises  were  more  protracted  than  at 
present,  more  especially  the  walk.  One  trainer  I  was  ac- 
quainted with  hardly  gave  his  horses  time  to  eat  or  sleep, 
but  kept  up  a  continual  round  of  exercise  from  early  in 
the  morning  till  sundown.  I  have  frequently  seen  his 
horses  in  such  a  state  of  exhaustion  from  this  continuous 
labor,  that  they  could  not  run  a  mile  in  2 :05.  He  was 
quite  successful,  however,  notwithstanding  this  bad  treat- 
ment. A  week  or  ten  days  before  they  had  to  run  in  a 


EXCESSIVE     WALKING.  91 

• 

race,  lie  would  throw  them  up,  giving  only  short  gallops 
and  very  little  walk,  thus  bringing  their  foot  back  without 
enough  time  elapsing  to  accumulate  inside  fat.  It  was 
a  perilous  system  to  follow.  I  knew  several  to  attempt  it, 
and  the  result  to  them  was  always  failure.  He  knew  just 
how  far  to  go,  and  when  to  ease  them  before  their  powers 
were  to  be  tested  in  a  race.  I  have  seen  one  of  his  horses, 
after  having  concluded  the  work  marked  out  for  him  to 
do,  neigh  before  leaving  the  track.  Another  mile  or  two, 
with  sharp  work  in  the  stretches,  was  sure  to  be  the  sen- 
tence,— this  display  of  exuberant  animal  feelings  being 
always  certain  to  be  followed  by  extended  work  till  the 
time  came  for  the  cessation. 

The  general  custom  then  was  to  walk  three  times  a  day, 
no  matter  what  the  animal  was.  The  gallops  would  be 
varied  according  to  the  different  requirements  of  the 
horses;  but  it  never  entered  the  trainer's  head  that  the 
slower  gait  needed  variations  on  account  of  difference  in 
temperament  or  form — the  nighty,  narrow-waisted,  deli- 
cate feeder  getting  just  as  much  as  the  sluggish,  heavy 
made,  phlegmatic  individual,  that  took  everything  as  qui- 
etly as  if  he  had  no  care  or  ambition  to  do  more  than  he 
was  absolutely  compelled.  Races,  either  running  or  trot- 
ting, are  short  periods  of  violent  exertion,  when  every 
muscle  is  called  upon  to  perform  to  its  utmost  endeavor. 
The  training,  then,  is  to  enable  the  animal  to  accomplish 
this  as  easily  as  possible. 

In  ancient  times,  Hercules  and  Mercury  were  associated 
as  patrons  of  the  Olympic  games  to  show  that  force  must 
be  accompanied  by  address.  Our  aim,  then,  should  be  to 
balance  force  and  address  so  that  their  proportions  will 
harmonize,  and  while  we  increase  the  strength,  be  cau- 
tious to  employ  means  that  will  not  interfere  with  agility. 
Walking  has  a  great  part  to  perform  in  fitting  a  horse 
for  rapid  locomotion. 


32  HOUSE    POKTKAITURE. 

* 

Should  all  the  exercise  be  at  a  fast  pace,  the  machine 
would  soon  fly  to  pieces.  There  can  be  no  rule  laid  down 
to  say  how  much  of  this  exercise  must  be  given  ;  as  the 
requirements  for  different  constitutions  will  vary  more 
than  is  generally  thought.  The  practice  most  followed 
is  to  send  the  horses  all  out  at  once,  and  bring  them  in  at 
the  same  time,  which  is  certainly  erroneous.  I  have  often 
asked  trainers,  why  they  walked  their  horses  ;  and  nine 
out  of  ten  could  give  no  reasons,  only  that  such  had  been 
the  custom.  The  walk,  if  not  carried  too  far,  gives  sup- 
pleness to  the  muscles,  increases  the  appetite  by  giving 
tone  to  the  stomach,  furnishes  pure  air  to  the  lungs,  so 
that  the  blood  is  thoroughly  oxygenated  and  the  nerve 
force  augmented  in  a  way  that  I  cannot  explain,  but  which 
is  evident  in  the  general  increase  of  health.  If  the  exer- 
cise is  too  much  prolonged,  the  ligaments  are  strained  and 
lose  their  elasticity.  The  sensitive  membrane  is  inflamed 
that  covers  them,  and  the  joints  are  injured  by  the  con- 
tinual strain.  The  monotony  of  the  walk  must  be  over- 
come by  changing  the  ground  so  often  that  the  horses 
may  be  relieved  by  seeing  different  objects  to  attract  their 
attention.  The  custom  of  clothing  a  horse  heavily  during 
these  diurnal  rounds  I  also  think  is  wrong,  and  in  my 
practice  I  have  discontinued  it.  I  cannot  understand  why 
it  should  be  beneficial,  and  have  often  asked  those  who 
follow  it  to  explain  the  advantages.  This  has  never  been 
done  satisfactorily  to  me.  Some  say  that  it  hardens  the 
flesh.  This  is  much  better  done  by  exercise.  Others,  that 
the  horse  must  be  protected  from  taking  cold.  If  it  is 
necessary  to  wear  a  heavy  blanket,  thick  kersey  cover  and 
hood  to  do  this,  I  am  much  mistaken,  and  think  the  fan- 
cied prevention  only  causes  the  animal  to  become  more 
delicate.  Men  who  clothe  in  the  stable  according  to  the 
exigencies  of  the  weather  never  think  of  changing  the 
walking  garments  so  long  as  perspiration  is  not  induced. 


SWEATING  —  SHOEING.  93 

The  disadvantages  are,  that,  wlien  it  becomes  necessary  to 
sweat  a  horse,  the  number  of  blankets  required  is  in  an 
increased  ratio  to  what  he  has  worn  in  the  stable  and 
while  walking,  the  system  having  adapted  itself  to  this 
artificial  covering,  like  men  who  wear  their  winter  habits 
throughout  the  summer,  professing  no  more  inconvenience 
than  those  who  resort  to  linen  and  nankeen. 

How  beautifully  Nature  works  for  the  welfare  of  her 
children,  is  exemplified  in  the  care  with  which  she  changes 
the  horse's  covering,  to  suit  the  changes  of  temperature. 
The  thin  coat  of  summer  is  shed  in  the  fall,  to  give  place 
to  one  that  is  more  of  a  protection  again  st  the  inclement 
air.  With  the  advance  of  spring  there  is  another  change, 
and  when  the  hot  summer  days  come,  a  third  molting 
takes  place,  and  the  thinnest  of  covers  is  all  that  is 
granted. 

My  remarks  have  been  applicable  only  to  the  walk,  as 
a  means  of  exercise,  previous  to  commencing  faster  work. 
When  the  pace  is  quickened,  and  the  walks  are  necessarily 
shortened  in  the  morning,  even  in  some  cases  done  away 
with,  we  will  discuss  while  the  horses  are  actually  engaged, 
and  we  can  note  the  effect.  The  walk,  then,  has  a  still 
more  important  duty  to  perform,  viz  : — obviating  the  dan- 
ger attending  "  cooling  off."  Having  now  arrived  at  the 
smithy,  we  will  proceed  to  the  business  in  hand.  If  you 
have  studied  the  works  of  the  various  writers  on  shoeing, 
you  will  perceive  I  follow  an  entirely  different  plan  from 
any  they  have  recommended.  I  do  not  want  you  to  take 
my  dictum  as  gospel,  and  will  give  you  the  reasons  I  have 
for  shoeing  horses  after  my  plan.  It  was  formerly  my 
custom  to  have  the  shoes  for  the  front  feet  made  flat  and 
wide  on  the  ground  surface,  with  a  small  steel  calk  in  at 
the  toe  to  prevent  wear.  The  web  of  the  shoe  was  tapered 
from  the  toe  to  the  heel,  and  the  fuller  or  crease  cut  deeply, 
so  that  the  heads  of  the  nails  would  be  on  a  level  with  the 

5 


94  HOESE    POETRAITUEE. 

surface.  The  inner  part  had  a  flat  bearing  of  about  half 
an  inch  in  width  for  the  nail  to  rest  on,  then  made  con- 
cave, so  that  there  would  be  room  between  it  and  the  sole 
to  introduce  a  picker,  and  that  the  sole  in  its  descent 
might  not  be  bruised.  The  shoe  being  properly  fitted, 
was  fastened  to  the  hoof  with  nails  driven  about  the  cen- 
ter of  the  crust,  the  points  "  getting  a  good  hold "  by 
coming  out  about  an  inch  above  the  shoe.  The  hind 
shoes  were  made  narrower  and  lighter,  with  both  heel 
and  toe  calks.  The  plan  I  now  follow,  is,  to  have  the  fore 
shoes  swedged  with  a  tool  that  leaves  a  rim  all  around 
the  shoe  of  three-eighths  of  an  inch  at  the  base,  coming  to 
a  dull  edge  at  the  apex,  being  about  the  same  depth  as  it 
is  wide.  The  remaining  part  of  the  web  is  concaved  on 
the  inside,  and  on  the  outside  the  crease  is  cut  where  the 
web  and  rim  join,  with  an  inward  inclination.  The  nails 
are  driven  from  the  inside  of  the  crust  in  place  of  the 
middle,  with  a  slope  that  will  bring  them  out  half  an  inch 
above  the  shoe.  The  reasons  for  adopting  this  system  of 
nailing  are,  that,  as  the  hoof  is  composed  of  a  great  num- 
ber of  thin  plates  or  laminae  overlaying  each  other — the 
fibers  running  up  and  down  the  foot  —  when  a  nail  is 
driven  in  the  center,  it  has  a  tendency  to  divide  the  lay- 
ers, and  either  split  them  asunder  or  cause  an  undue 
pressure  when  driven  higher  than  the  insensible  sole. 
By  starting  the  nails  from  the  inside  of  the  crust  and 
taking  more  of  a  horizontal  direction,  the  laminae  are  not 
divided,  but  perforated,  giving  a  far  better  hold  for  the 
nail,  with  no  danger  of  either  wounding  the  sensitive 
parts  or  pressing  on  them  to  cause  pain.  When  the  nail 
is  driven  through,  the  point  is  twisted  off,  and  in  lieu  of 
taking  the  rasp  and  filing  an  ugly  crease  that  weakens  the 
hoof  by  destroying  the  enamel,  a  very  small  gouge  merely 
removes  enough  of  the  horn  to  hide  the  clinch  riveted 
with  a  punch,  and  of  course,  entirely  out  of  the  way  of 


IMPEOVED  METHOD  OF  SHOEING.     95 

doing  injury.  The  clinches  "  cannot  raise, "  as  the  heads 
of  the  nails  are  completely  protected  by  the  swedged  rim. 
There  is  a  small  clip  at  the  toe  with  the  additional  se- 
curity of  a  nail  driven  in  that  strongest  part  of  the  foot ; 
three  nails  on  each  side  giving  ample  assurance  that  it 
cannot  be  displaced.  These  nails  only  go  back  as  far  as 
the  widest  part  of  the  foot,  leaving  the  quarters  unob- 
structed in  their  motion.  The  hind  shoes  differ  in  being 
a  great  deal  lighter,  and  in  place  of  the  swedged  rim  are 
so  concave  that  they  have  an  angle  or  bend  of  about  forty- 
five  degrees.  The  crease  is  cut  in  the  rim,  and  when  the 
nails  are  driven  they  are  filed  away  till  the  whole  shoe  is 
left  so  smooth  that  if  even  a  horse  "grabs,"  it  slips  off 
the  quarter  without  doing  an  injury.  The  back  part  of 
the  web  of  the  hind  shoe  is  what  gives  the  wound  when 
a  horse  cuts  his  quarters,  and  when  turned  over  the  horn 
of  the  anvil — as  is  the  customary  plan — is  almost  as  sharp 
as  a  knife.  You  can  satisfy  yourself  that  this  is  the  part 
of  the  shoe  that  does  the  mischief,  by  observing  the  wound, 
which  is  always  triangular,  the  point  being  the  place  where 
first  struck,  and  the  flap  or  torn  skin  falling  back  and  at- 
tached at  the  lower  end  or  base  of  the  triangle.  But  still 
the  most  conclusive  proof  is,  that  with  the  shoe  made  as  I 
have  described,  with  no  toe  calk,  sharp  web  or  nail  heads, 
there  never  will  be  a  wound.  The  quarter  may  be  bruised 
by  a  blow  from  the  iron,  but  even  that  will  be  mitigated 
by  the  smooth  surface.  There  are,  of  course,  horses  that 
could  not  be  shod  in  this  way,  from  their  feet  being  dis- 
eased or  defective — some  requiring  round  or  bar  shoes, 
others  with  a  gutta-percha  or  leathern  sole,  and  still 
others  with  a  great  part  of  the  horn  and  shoe  cut  away 
to  guard  against  the  result  of  faulty  action  arising  from 
wrong  shape,  &c.,  &c. 

A  natural,  healthy  foot  is  the  one  I  am  now  directing 
to  be  shod,  so  as  to  do  the  work  in  the  best  manner  re- 


96  HORSE     POETEAITUEE. 

quired,  and  keep  it  in  its  normal  condition.  Those  who 
still  stick  to  the  first  shoe  I  described  will  say  that  it  is 
the  only  one  for  a  trotter,  without  deigning  to  give  any 
reason  why  it  is  so.  The  advantages  I  claim  for  the  con- 
tinuous rim  or  calk,  are,  that  it  is  more  like  the  natural 
unshod  foot,  bringing  the  support  where  it  is  required, 
directly  under  the  wall ;  that  it  gives  a  firmer  hold  of  the 
ground,  enabling  the  animal  to  retain  every  inch  he  pro- 
gresses, and  adds  to  the  confidence  he  has  of  not  slipping, 
so  that  lie  strikes  out  boldly  to  the  limit  of  his  stride. 
Should  the  track  be  very  hard,  there  is  less  concussion 
than  where  there  is  an  inch  and  a  half  of  flat  metal  to 
meet  it.  Should  it  be  inclined  to  cup  or  give,  the  con- 
cavity gives  a  far  better  traction  than  the  flat,  with  less 
tendency  to  "  pick  up."  In  the  mud,  no  one  will  deny  its 
advantages  over  the  customary  way  of  placing  the  points 
only  at  the  heel  and  toe.  In  preparing  the  foot  to  receive 
this  shoe,  I  may  still  be  thought  singular.  I  will  give  my 
reasons,  and  until  some  one  converts  me  to  another  plan, 
by  force  of  argument,  I  shall  continue  in  my  own  without 
the  fear  of  ridicule,  which  has  no  better  logic  than  a  laugh 
to  carry  its  point.  I  suffer  no  part  of  the  foot  to  be  pared, 
only  the  wall,  and  that  is  cut  till  it  rests  on  the  floor  in  a 
natural  manner.  Great  care  must  be  taken  that  the  pro- 
per amount  be  cut  from  toe  and  heel  to  effect  this.  I 
think  the  general  error  is  in  allowing  the  heels  to  be  too 
high.  When  it  has  been  cut  with  the  rasp  and  knife,  a 
smooth  file  finishes  the  preparation,  so  that  there  are  no 
inequalities  to  keep  the  shoe  from  touching  every  place. 
When  nailed  on,  the  shoes  must  come  exactly  to  the  edge 
of  the  hoof,  in  no  case  projecting  the  least  beyond  it.  If 
this  fitting  has  been  properly  done,  there  need  be  no  rasp- 
ing or  filing  the  horn  to  injure  the  outward  coating  and 
destroy  the  elasticity  of  the  hoof. 

sole  is  left  just  as  nature  made  it,  and  we  will  try 


IMPKOPER     SHOEING.  97 

and  keep  it.  It  lias  a  rugged  appearance  that  "will  mor- 
tify the  blacksmith,  but  will  retain  the  moisture  better 
than  any  stopping,  and  when  the  surplus  portion  needs 
removal,  will  exfoliate  before  it  comes  in  the  way.  Many 
blacksmiths  will  need  watching,  in  their  anxiety  to  do  a 
finished  job,  which  consists  in  paring  away  sole  and  frog, 
opening  the  fissures  between  the  bars  and  frog,  and 
rasping  the  outside  of  the  horn  to  within  an  inch  of  the 
hair.  The  natural  mechanism  of  the  horse's  foot  is  beau- 
tiful. His  domestication  requiring  of  him  artificial  duties 
necessitates  artificial  aid.  How  much  it  ought  to  be  our 
study  to  ameliorate  the  ills  forced  on  him,  and  make  the 
willing  servitude,  as  much  as  lies  in  our  power,  a  pleasure ! 
In  no  way  can  there  be  so  much  unnecessary  suffering 
relieved  as  by  attention  to  shoeing.  Any  one  who  will 
take  his  station  for  an  hour  on  the  crowded  streets  of  a 
city  will  be  convinced  of  this.  How  rarely  do  you  see  a 
horse  stepping  out  with  the  free,  grand  motion,  resulting 
from  sound  feet  and  limbs.  They  come  hobbling  by, 
some  of  them  with  dauntless  spirit,  enduring  torture, 
partially  hidden  by  a  jaunty  air,  that  would  make  the 
most  heroic  biped  grate  his  teeth  with  pain. 

"Never  Mind"  we  will  have  shod  with  a  shoe  weighing 
about  twelve  ounces.  From  the  description  you  give  of 
his  manner  of  going,  he  has,  probably,  rather  an  excess  of 
Imee  action,  and  by  putting  on  rather  a  light  shoo  we 
will  remedy  it.  His  hind  shoe  should  not  weigh  over  a 
third  as  much;  and  to  guard  against  getting  on  his 
quarters,  we  will  have  them  made  as  I  described,  and  set 
a  short  distance  back  from  the  toe,  which  must  project 
over  the  shoe  about  half  an  inch. 

Bad  driving,  as  I  said  before,  has  as  much  to  do  with 
horses  striking  their  quarters  as  anything  else.  When  a 
horse  breaks  and  is  jerked  from  one  side  of  the  track  to 
the  other  with  all  the  strength  a  man  possesses,  there  is  a 


98  HOESE     POETEAITUEE. 

great  danger  of  his  hitting  somewhere  ;  and  it  is  fortu- 
nate if  it  is  the  quarter  instead  of  the  knee.  When  to  this 
snatching  is  added  a  short  martingale,  the  tendency  to 
hit  is  still  greater.  The  head  being  pulled  close  to  the 
breast,  the  horse  has  no  freedom  of  action  left ;  and  I 
have  known  horses  hit  themselves  between  the  knee  and 
pastern  when  thus  tangled. 

The  Falcon  shall  wear  what  I  term  a  medium  weight 
for  an  ordinary  sized  foot,  viz :  each  fore  shoe  weighing 
a  pound.  I  have  always  found  an  advantage  in  making 
the  hind  shoe  very  light.  The  hind  legs  are  the  propel- 
ling power,  throwing  the  body  forward,  while  the  fore  legs 
support  it  and  are  merely  rolled  out  of  the  way.  In 
order  that  they  may  do  this,  the  knee  requires  to  be  well 
doubled,  to  ensure  a  proper  length  of  stride  correspond- 
ing to  the  force  of  propulsion  of  the  hind  legs.  The  hind 
feet,  however,  cannot  be  carried  too  close  to  the  ground, 
as  there  is  less  expenditure  of  strength  than  when  raised 
higher.  The  light  shoe,  therefore,  interferes  less  with 
this  skimming  motion  than  one  heavier.  That  a  few 
ounces'  difference  in  weight  of  the  shoe  of  so  powerful  an 
animal  as  the  horse  should  make  so  much  difference  in 
the  speed,  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  change  in 
the  action  of  the  animal.  Turfmen  will  tell  you  that 
there  is  from  three  to  four  seconds  in  time  between  shoes 
and  plates  in  running  a  mile.  The  one  set  will  weigh  say 
forty  ounces,  the  other  ten.  This  small  decrease  of 
weight,  though  placed  where  it  exerts  the  most  influence, 
can  never  be  sufficient  reason  for  making  fifty  yards' 
difference  in  a  mile. 

To  carry  this  argument  still  further,  with  an  illustration 
that  is  to  the  point :  a  trotter  can  go  faster  with  the  shoe 
as  usually  worn,  than  if  plated,  like  the  race  horse.  So 
the  disadvantage  of  increase  of  weight  is  more  than 


INJUEIES     TO     THE     KNEE.  99 

counterbalanced  by  the  action  being  better  calculated  for 
rapidity  of  trotting. 

Jane  we  will  have  shod  a  little  heavier,  adding  a  couple 
of  ounces  to  each  shoe.  If  I  thought  she  had  hit  her 
knee  from  her  own  fault,  I  would  put  the  two  ounces  on 
the  outside  of  the  shoe.  But  as  I  am  satisfied  the  injury 
arose  from  bad  handling,  we  will  make  the  shoes  to 
balance.  It  is  reduced  to  a  certainty  with  me  that  a 
horse's  way  of  going  can  be  greatly  modified  by  an  un- 
equal shoe.  I  had  one  horse  that  hit  himself  violently  on 
the  shin  with  the  outside  of  the  forefoot,  and  on  weight- 
ing the  shoe  he  escaped  the  blow  ~on  the  shin,  but  did 
what  was  worse,  hit  his  knee.  While  Jane  is  working- 
slow,  we  must  try  to  reduce  the  enlargement,  and  bring 
the  knee  to  the  natural  size.  To  effect  this,  we  will  irri- 
tate the  cuticle  with  oil  of  cedar,  and  then  apply  mer- 
curial ointment,  or  some  preparation  of  iodine.  I  have 
been  very  successful  with  this  mode  of  treatment. 

In  case  of  a  recent  injury  to  the  knee,  a  very  different 
course  would  have  to  be  followed,  by  placing  the  feet  in  a 
tub,  and  giving  a  thorough  bathing  with  hot  bran  tea, 
applying  it  for  an  hour  or  longer,  then  swathing  with 
flannel  bandages  wet  with  the  tincture  of  arnica,  reduced 
by  adding  three  parts  of  water  to  one  of  tincture.  Should 
the  inflammatory  symptoms  not  be  abated  the  next  day, 
apply  pounded  ice,  to  be  followed  by  a  strong  decoction 
of  mullein  leaves — of  course,  dispensing  with  all  fast 
work,  lessening  the  feed  considerably,  and  giving  acidu- 
lated drink.  If  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  grass  or 
green  corn  blades  can  be  got,  give  a  plentiful  supply  of 
them,  with  a  bran  mash  not  too  often.  I  am  in  favor  of 
giving  green  food  more  than  mashes,  and  will  give  you 
my  reasons  for  the  preference  at  a  future  time. 

Yvre  can  leave  this  blacksmith  safely,  as  I  will  warrant 
him  to  do  the  shoeing  as  directed  ;  so  we  will  walk  back 


100  HORSE    POETEAITUEE. 

to  the  stable  and  see  to  the  arrangement  of  things  there. 
Much  work  can  be  saved  by  having  a  place  for  the 
"traps,"  and  making  an  imperative  rule  that  each  article 
shall  be  returned  where  it  belongs. 

PUPIL. — To  say  that  I  have  listened  with  attention,  while 
you  have  been  talking  of  the  walking  and  shoeing,  would 
be  a  poor  return  for  the  information  I  have  received  in  so 
short  a  space.  The  ideas  are  nearly  all  new  to  me,  but  I 
can  give  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be  followed.  I 
have  had  an  illustration  of  the  danger  of  driving  nails  too 
high  in  the  horn,  even  when  there  was  no  direct  injury 
to  the  sensitive  parts  when  first  shod,  and  which  resulted 
in  the  death  of  one  of  the  finest  animals  I  ever  saw. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1863,  I  accompanied  a  gentleman 
to  Kentucky  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  few  colts. 
We  got  to  Cincinnati  at  the  time  Mt.  Sterling  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Confederates,  and,  of  course,  there  was  great 
excitement  all  along  the  line  of  the  Lexington  and  Cov- 
ington  Kailroad.  Paris  was  supposed  to  be  the  next  point 
of  attack,  and  the  railroad  officials  debated  some  time  be- 
fore they  would  send  out  a  train,  finally  concluding  to  do 
so.  By  this  conveyance  we  reached  Lexington,  and  spent 
a  short  time  there,  looking  at  the  stock  of  Jno.  M.  Clay, 
and  others  in  the  vicinity.  There  were  Lodi,  Kentucky, 
and  many  other  fine  specimens  of  the  blood  horse ;  but, 
unfortunately,  Mr.  Clay  was  not  at  home,  so  that  we 
could  only  admire  the  horses  and  everything  about  his 
well-kept  establishment — to  my  mind,  the  most  perfect  of 
any  we  saw.  We  were  kindly  received,  however,  by  his 
trainer,  who  showed  us  all  in  his  department,  and  he 
certainly  deserved  the  credit  of  having  his  horses  well 
advanced  in  condition  ;  and  the  arrangement  of  the  train- 
ing quarters  was  admirable.  That  morning  we  break- 
fasted with  Mr.  E.  E.  Eagle,  who  not  only  gave  us  a 
genuine  Kentucky  welcome,  but  accompanied  us  in  our 


A     KENTUCKY     COLT.  101 

visit  to  the  other  places.  When  we  left  Mr.  Clay's,  we 
came  back  by  the  way  of  Ashland ;  and  my  enthusiastic 
admiration  of  the  great  man,  whose  home  it  had  been, 
was  gratified  by  seeing  the  place,  so  beautiful  by  na- 
ture, still  further  adorned  by  the  plantations  which  he 
had  superintended.  But  I  must  not  be  tempted  to  de- 
scribe any  of  these  places,  as  our  walk  is  too  short  to  admit 
of  even  a  sketch  of  their  beauties.  We  took  the  afternoon 
train  to  Spring  Station,  and  I  greatly  enjoyed  the  two- 
mile  walk  over  the  verdant  blue  grass  sod  to  Woodburn. 
The  next  day  was  occupied  in  glancing  at  the  stock  on 
that  vast  domain ;  but  there  was  so  much  of  it,  that  the 
mind  got  confused  by  the  number  seen,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  get  a  correct  impression  that  could  be  retained 
by  the  memory  without  mixing  up  different  animals  to- 
gether. 

There  were  two,  however,  that  struck  my  fancy  more 
than  any  of  the  others  :  a  bay  colt,  by  Lexington,  out  of 
Nebula,  the  peerless  Asteroid,  and  a  bay  colt  by  Knight 
of  St.  George,  out  of  Miriam.  They  were  both  rated  at 
the  same  price,  and  I  finally  settled  on  the  son  of  the 
conqueror  of  the  dragon.  I  will  only  describe  him  by 
saying  he  was  the  most  finished  specimen  of  horse-flesh  T 
ever  saw  ;  powerfully  made,  yet  showing  quality  of  the 
highest  character.  I  have  a  print,  copied  from  Herring, 
Sen.,  of  Beeswing ;  I  have  admired  it  as  coming  exactly 
to  my  idea  of  what  a  horse  should  be,  and  I  often  point 
it  out  to  visitors  as  being  a  model,  in  my  estimation,  as  it 
is  in  the  opinion  of  those  much  more  capable  of  judging. 
This  colt's  similarity  of  form  to  the  picture  was  remark- 
able. Mr.  Alexander  sent  us,  in  his  carriage,  to  pay  a 
visit  to  "  Uncle  Ned,"  where  we  were  so  agreeably  enter- 
tained that  the  evening  shades  were  falling  ere  we  re- 
gained Woodburn.  We  found  every  one  much  excited, 
there  being  a  report  that  Breckenridge  was  within  six  miles, 


102  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

with  a  large  force  under  his  command,  conscripting  all 
who  came  in  his  way.  A  gentleman  from  Ohio  accom- 
panied us  on  our  way  to  Equiria,  intending  to  take  the 
cars  at  Spring  Station ;  but  they  had  passed  laden  with 
soldiers  and  artillery. 

This  looked  as  if  the  Federals  were  evacuating  Lex- 
ington, and  increased  the  excitement.  Mr.  Alexander 
kindly  offered  to  send  us  in  his  carriage  to  Georgetown, 
where  we  could  get  a  conveyance  to  Cincinnati ;  but  I 
had  fallen  so  completely  in  love  with  the  colt,  that  I  was 
determined  to  take  him  home,  if  I  had  to  lead  him 
through  the  woods  to  the  Ohio  river.  At  my  urgent  re- 
quest, Mr.  Alexander  delayed  sending  us  off  till  a  boy 
could  go  to  Midway  and  get  a  reliable  report  from  the 
telegraphic  operator  at  that  place.  He  came  back  in  a 
very  short  time  with  the  news,  that  the  Confederates  were 
no  nearer  than  Danville,  some  thirty  miles  distant.  This 
relieved  the  party  of  their  fears  for  their  immediate  safety, 
and  led  them  to  stay  over  night. 

Mr.  Alexander  agreed  to  send  some  of  his  men  with  the 
horses  purchased  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  order  that  they 
might  have  an  early  start,  the  colts  were  brought  up  before 
daylight  in  the "  morning  and  shod.  This  was  necessary, 
as  the  hard  rock  roads  would  have  worn  their  feet  to  the 
quick,  if  they  had  not  been  protected.  They  got  to  the 
Queen  City,  looking  jaded,  but  no  other  bad  effects  from 
the  journey  were  visible.  I  accompanied  them  myself 
from  Cincinnati  to  Chicago,  taking  the  Air  Line  Road, 
— and  I  cannot  pass  further  without  remarking  that  the 
roads  between  these  two  cities  are  cursed  with  the  most 
disobliging  set  of  officials  I  ever  had  to  endure  in  all  my 
travels.  The  journey  that  ought  to  have  been  made  in 
tnirty-six  hours,  at  furthest,  occupied  five  days.  I  was 
well  prepared  with  hay,  feed,  blankets,  &c. ;  and  having 
the  whole  car  for  three  colts — two  two-year-olds  and  a 


LOCKJAW  —  IHPEOPEE  SHOEING.    103 

yearling,  had  plenty  of  room.  When  we  laid  up,  which 
was  every  night  but  one,  and  a  great  part  of  the  day  also, 
I  could  not  prevail  on  the  conductor  to  draw  the  car  to  the 
platform,  where  I  could  take  the  colts  off  to  exercise  ;  so, 
when  not  in  motion,  I  turned  them  loose  in  the  car.  After 
the  first  night,  they  would  lie  down  and  rest  as  comfort- 
ably as  if  in  a  stable.  The  second  day  I  discovered  the 
Knight  was  lame  in  one  of  his  hind  legs.  After  the 
closest  scrutiny,  I  could  not  tell  where  it  was  seated, 
and  came  to  the  conclusion  it  must  be  in  the  foot.  He 
was  in  a  good  deal  of  pain,  holding  up  the  foot,  or  resting 
it  on  the  toe. 

Before  I  got  to  Chicago,  the  lameness  was  less  apparent ; 
and  leading  him  from  the  cars  to  the  stable,  he  went  as 
sound  as  ever.  I  took  the  colts  to  the  blacksmith  «shop, 
had  all  of  the  shoes  pulled  off,  and  after  a  good  groom- 
ing, put  them  in  roomy  box  stalls  with  comfortable  beds, 
gave  them  a  warm  mash,  and  felt  that  they  were  well 
cared  for. 

When  I  woke  up  the  next  morning,  it  took  me  some 
moments  to  realize  I  was  not  on  the  railroad ;  but  the 
luxurious  hair  mattress  and  the  comfortable  room  at  the 
hotel  recalled  me  to  a  knowledge  of  the  true  situation. 
As  I  did  not  expect  to  continue  my  journey  for  a  day  or 
two,  I  was  in  no  hurry  to  get  up.  The  deprivation  of  all 
comfort  for  the  last  few  days  made  my  present  position 
the  more  enjoyable,  and  I  felt  inclined  to  make  the  most 
of  it. 

I  lay  building  air-castles  in  which  the  half-brother  to 
Mammona  and  Magenta  took  a  conspicuous  place.  He 
must  be  run  till  four  or  five  years  old,  leaving  the  legi- 
timate turf,  crowned  with  bays,  to  gather  fresh  chaplets 
on  the  "Union  and  Fashion  Courses,  the  meed  of  victories 
won  at  the  less  graceful  trot.  My  reveries  were  cut  short 
by  tho  ostler  coming  to  my  door  and  telling  me  one  of 


104  HORSE     POETBAITURE. 

the  colts  had  the  "  belly-ache."  Which  one  ?  I  eagerly 
enquired.  The  pretty  bay,  was  his  answer.  All  three  were 
bays,  but  I  knew  which  he  meant.  I  jumped  out  of  bed, 
hurried  on  my  clothes,  and  found  my  worst  fears  more 
than  fulfilled.  It  needed  but  a  glance  to  arrive  at  a  cor- 
rect diagnosis, — lock-jaw.  I  led  him  a  few  blocks  to  a  ve- 
terinarian, who  frankly  told  me  that  he  had  not  one 
chance  in  a  hundred  to  live.  He  applied  chloroform  till 
insensibility  was  induced.  This  was  some  relief,  as,  when 
lying  under  its  influence,  the  pain  of  looking  at  him  suffer- 
ing so  intensely  was  done  away.  All  the  man's  skill  availed 
not :  he  died. 

The  conclusion  that  forced  itself  on  my  mind  was,  that, 
in  the  hurry  of  shoeing  by  the  dim  light  of  a  lamp,  the 
nail  was  driven  too  near  the  quick ;  that  the  jarring  of 
the  car  after  journeying  over  the  Macadamized  road 
caused  the  lameness.  The  pulling  the  shoe  off  did  still 
further  injury.  The  nerve  was  wounded,  resulting  in  the 
loss  of  an  animal  that  would  have  been  of  incalculable 
service  to  the  stock  of  the  section  where  I  lived.  Crossed 
on  mares,  the  get  of  the  Falcon,  would  have  produced 
trotters  to  a  certainty.  His  trotting  step  was  as  fine  as 
&.ny  colt  bred  expressly  for  that  purpose  ever  had.  His 
blood,  form,  and  quality,  being  of  so  high  a  character,  I 
despair  of  ever  looking  on  his  like  again. 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 

STABLE  MANAGEMENT — GROOMING! — SWEATING — BANDAGES — 
CLOTHING — RULES  FOR  THE   STABLE. 

PRECEPTOR. — That  was  a  very  unfortunate  case,  losing 
your  colt,  and  I  have  no  doubt  the  reason  you  give  for 
the  attack  of  tetanus  is  correct.  If,  when  the  shoe  was 
pulled  off,  you  had  put  the  foot  in  a  bucket  of  hot,  strong 
ley,  made  with  wood  ashes,  the  fatal  result  would  prob- 
ably have  been  avoided.  Horses  take  the  lock-jaw  with- 
out having  been  wounded.  Yet,  when  it  occurs  without 
a  wound,  it  is  easier  managed,  and  does  not  generally 
prove  so  serious. 

The  stable  management  of  horses  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, and  the  strictest  attention  is  required  in  order 
that  their  condition  may  be  advanced,  which  all  our  skill 
will  not  effect  if  they  are  neglected  there.  I  do  not  in- 
tend, at  present,  to  give  you  a  lecture  on  stable  economy, 
but  merely  to  assist  you  in  having  the  stalls  arranged  so 
that  the  least  work  possible  will  be  required  to  take  care 
of  the  inmates.  This  stable  is  not  what  I  imagine  either 
of  us  would  have  built;  still  it  can  be  arranged  so  that  the 
horses  may  be  very  comfortable. 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  given  you  a  plan  of  a  train- 
ing stable  that  would  meet  my  ideas  ;  but  as  you  have 
not  yet  erected  one  on  the  Iowa  Farm,  will  await  your  de- 
scription, and  suggest  such  changes  as  may  appear  bene- 
ficial. Your  nine  horses  we  will  divide  into  three  classes, 
viz.  :  Falcon,  May-Day,  and  Delle,  will  take  the  three  stalls 


106  HOESE     PORTRAIT  U  BE. 

that  are  in  one  compartment ;  we  will  put  them  under 
the  charge  of  one  man,  with  a  boy  to  assist  in  rubbing- 
legs,  walking,  &c.  The  next  division,  in  like  quarters 
and  with  the  same  number  of  attendants,  will  be  Never 
Mind,  Jane,  and  Mavourneen  ;  while  we  will  expect  one 
man  to  take  charge  of  Clipper,  Oriole,  and  King.  The 
"  old  Virginia  "  plan  in  racing  stables  was  to  put  a  man 
and  a  boy  to  every  horse  ;  and  I  have  seen  the  services  of 
two  men  detailed  to  take  care  of  one  of  our  fastest  trot- 
ters. In  my  opinion,  so  much  help  is  unnecessary,  and 
in  some  cases  injurious.  Grooming,  as  well  as  exercise, 
can  be  overdone.  When  the  results  aimed  at  are  attained, 
what  can  be  the  profit  of  carrying  it  further  ?  The  bene- 
fits arising  from  grooming  are  cleanliness,  and  keeping 
up  the  circulation  of  blood  to  the  extremities  by  the 
friction.  The  horse's  skin  is  like  the  human,  exudation 
removing  impurities  from  the  system,  which,  if  confined, 
would  do  injury.  The  dandruff  or  scurf  closing  the  pores 
has  to  be  removed,  and  it  is  astonishing  the  difference  in 
the  appearance  of  the  horse  between  having  this  duty  per- 
formed thoroughly,  and  having  it  slighted. 

A  good  groom  is  of  great  value,  and,  simple  as  the 
operation  appears  of  cleaning  a  horse,  there  are  very  few 
adepts.  The  curry-comb  in  the  hands  of  an  artist  is  used 
only  to  keep  the  brush  clean.  A  bungler  rakes  away  with 
it  against  and  across  the  hair,  torturing  the  horse  without 
affecting  any  good.  The  brush,  if  properly  used,  will 
effectually  remove  the  scurf,  while  the  wisp  gives  the 
polish  to  the  hair,  and  removes  the  dust  from  the  surface. 
Fast  work,  while  it  makes  extra  care  necessary,  decreases 
the  labor  of  keeping  the  horse  clean,  the  frequency  of 
perspiration  loosening  the  dandruff,  and  lodging  it  on  the 
outside,  where  its  removal  becomes  less  troublesome.  It 
is  very  true  that',  in  the  commencement  of  training,  this 
perspiration  is  of  an  oily  nature,  which,  if  suffered  to  dry. 


GROOM  ING-STALLS.  107 

becomes  sticky  as  wax,  matting  the  hair  together.  This, 
however,  when  the  stable  is  situated  close  to  the  track 
need  never  occur,  the  scraper  taking  it  off  before  it  is  al- 
lowed to  cool.  There  is  one  drawback  to  the  benefit  sweat- 
ing confers  in  lessening  the  labor  of  grooming.  The  per- 
spiration not  only  removes  the  dandruff,  but  also  the  oily 
matter  that  gives  the  gloss  to  the  hair.  A  fresh  secretion 
takes  place,  the  wisping  or  rubbing  stimulating  the 
vessels  and  encouraging  the  flow.  Should  this  be  ne- 
glected, the  hair  has  a  harsh  feel  and  a  dry  appearance, 
which,  if  it  does  not  arise  from  a  neglect  of  grooming,  be- 
tokens a  want  of  condition,  the  source  of  which  will  be 
•  often  difficult  to  discover.  There  are  times  when  the  labor 
of  two  men  is  required  on  one  horse,  when  giving  a  sweat, 
a  trial,  or  after  a  race.  We  will  arrange  the  days  of 
sweating  so  that  we  can  call  in  the  help  of  our  other 
classes,  and  the.  men  mutually  assisting  each  other,  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  help. 

I  spoke  of  grooming  and  rubbing  being  overdone.  When 
horses  are  fussed  over  too  much,  the  time  they  ought  to 
be  at  rest  is  broken  in  upon,  and  more  injury  results 
from  this  than  benefit  from  the  extra  care.  The  want  of 
box  stalls  in  this  stable  is  partially  compensated  by  there 
being  plenty  of  room  for  three  in  each  compartment,  di- 
vided by  partitions  that  are  strongly  put  up.  These  par- 
titions are  deep,  so  that  there  is  no  danger,  when  a  horse 
is  lying  down,  of  the  hind  legs  getting  beyond  the  heel- 
post.  The  feeding  boxes  are  hung  on  staples  driven  into 
the  wall,  so  that  the  box  can  be  removed  when  the  animal 
has  eaten  the  feed.  The  hay  we  place  on  the  floor,  where 
it  will  all  be  picked  up,  and  suits  horses  better  than  when 
put  in  a  manger.  The  stalls  are  so  wide  that  the  horses 
can  be  dressed  in  them,  and  there  is  a  space  eight  feet 
wide  between  the  heel-post  and  the  wall.  The  furniture 
consists  of  a  cot  bed  for  the  man  to  sleep  in,  which  can  be 


108  HOESE     POETEAITUEE. 

doubled  up  and  set  by  during  the  day.  There  are  ropes 
stretched  along  the  sides  to  hang  blankets  and  clothing 
on;  hooks  screwed  into  the  wall  for  the  harness,  each 
one  having  a  hook.  Bridles,  surcingles,  rubbing  cloths, 
chamois  skins,  are  hung  where  they  can  be  conveniently 
reached.  There  is  a  cushion  for  skewers'and  a  piece  of 
flannel,  the  heads  of  the  nails  projecting  that  fasten  it  to 
the  wall,  on  which  we  hang  the  bits,  the  flannel  protecting 
them  from  the  dampness.  We  will  need  quite  a  collection 
of  bits,  as  you  will  find  a  great  advantage  in  different 
forms  for  different  horses ;  or  the  same  horse  will  need  a 
change  to  keep  his  mouth  from  getting  sore ;  or  you  will 
find  him  working  best  to-day  in  a  plain  snaffle,  perhaps 
next  week  showing  his  predilection  for  a  bar  or  a  snafSe 
of  another  pattern.  Lantern,  muzzle,  curry-combs,  brushes, 
foot-picks,  hair  mittens,  bandages,  sponges,  combs,  scis- 
sors, soap,  tincture  of  arnica,  glycerine,  rack  for  whips, 
are  arranged  where  they  will  be  least  in  the  way,  yet 
handy  to  get  at ;  while  we  have  on  hand — hoping  not  to 
have  to  use  them — knee,  shin,  and  quarter  boots,  buckskin 
rolls,  rattles,  hand  pieces,  &c.  With  forks,  shovels,  brooms, 
foot-tubs  and  baskets,  we  are  pretty  well  supplied  with 
necessaries,  and  as  we  have  a  feed-room  and  shed  for  the 
sulkies  and  wagons,  we  can  find  no  fault  with  our  present 
quarters,  even  if  they  could  be  bettered.  One  article  must 
not  be  omitted:  a  good  clock  with  an  alarm,  that  will 
waken  the  most  inveterate  sleeper.  This  placed  in  the 
foreman's  room  will  enable  him  to  be  up  in  the  morning 
and  regulate  the  feeding,  which  is  very  essential.  Impress 
on  the  minds  of  your  men  certain  rules,  the  violation  of 
which  will  be  followed  by  positive  dismissal.  The  first 
and  most  important,  uniform  kindness  to  the  horses — 
never  to  strike  or  kick  one  under  any  circumstances  ;  to 
cultivate  a  kind  tone  of  voice,  trying  to  obtain  the  af- 
fection of  the  animals ;  never  exhibiting  fear ;  novo-i- 


STABLE  KULE  S — C  EUEL  GROOMING.  109 

using  profane  or  vulgar  language  ;  to  put  everything 
when  done  using  it  in  its  appropriate  place  ;  to  wipe  the 
I;  its  before  hanging  up,  and  rub  the  sweat  off  the  harness ; 
to  follow  implicity  your  directions,  and,  in  your  absence, 
those  of  the  foreman ;  never  to  smoke  in  the  stable,  or 
keep  a  light  burning  after  the  usual  time  ;  drunkenness,  or 
even  "  getting  a  little  tight,"  to  receive  condign  punish- 
ment, no  matter  if  there  are  extenuating  circumstance ; 
to  be  neat  in  personal  appearance  and  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  stable.  Other  minor  regulations  will  present  them- 
selves. 

To  look  for  these  qualifications  in  "  rubbers "  may  be 
thought  useless  ;  but  I  never  keep  a  man  unless  he  pos- 
sess them,  and  I  am  happy  to  state  they  are  obtainable. 
To  encourage  young  men  who  work  for  me,  and  raise 
their  aspirations  to  fill  their  places  well,  is  one  of  the  chief 
aims  in  my  intercourse  with  them.  I  furnish  them  with 
all  the  turf  and  horse  literature  that  is  worthy  of  being 
read,  and  not  only  find  it  to  their  advantage,  but  also  a 
great  furtherance  of  my  own  interests. 

The  spare  time,  of  which  they  have  a  good  deal,  is  thus 
profitably  employed.  They  take  pride  in  performing  their 
duty  well,  and  the  information  acquired  from  reading  will 
never  be  obliterated  or  useless,  whatever  station  in  life 
they  afterwards  occupy. 

PUPIL. — The  first  man  who  drove  the  Falcon  taught 
him  another  bad  trick,  which  your  remarks  on  grooming 
bring  freshly  to  my  mind.  He  would  tie  his  head  up  with 
a  rein  on  each  side  of  the  bit,  elevating  it  into  a  very  un- 
comfortable position,  and  handling  the  curry-comb,  as  you 
remarked,  to  give  the  most  pain,  when  he  came  to  where 
the  hair  was  the  thinnest,  he  would  bear  on  with  additional 
force  and  energy  of  movement,  driving  the  horse  nearly 
frantic,  who  would  cringe  almost  to  the  floor,  and  lash 
out  his  hind  feet  in  a  desperate  manner,  requiring  a 


110  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

good  deal  of  agility  on  the  part  of  his  tormentor  to  keep 
out  of  his  reach.  The  stable  where  he  was  kept  was  in  a 
small  village,  and  there  was  usually  quite  a  crowd  to  see 
the  horses  exercising  and  watch  the  movements  in  the 
stable.  I  believe  this  man  thought  it  heightened  his  con- 
sequence to  be  seen  grooming  so  desperate  an  animal, 
and  took  delight  in  aggravating  him  to  the  display.  A 
brush  drawn  across  a  curry-comb  will  put  him  out  of 
temper  the  moment  he  hears  it.  I  found  in  a  drug  store 
a  different  kind  of  hair  mitten  from  any  I  ever  saw.  In 
place  of  the  hair  being  woven  in  with  the  material  com- 
posing the  mitten,  it  was  fashioned  like  a  card,  which  was 
sewed  on  the  palm.  It  is  very  effective  in  removing  dust 
or  dandruff  from  a  horse  with  as  thin  a  coating  of  hair  as 
Falcon  has,  and  I  have  never  suffered  anything  harsher  to 
be  used  in  cleaning  him  since  I  obtained  it.  By  placing 
one  on  each  hand  the  work  is  not  only  expedited,  but  by 
brushing  them  together  they  are  kept  clean. 

Falcon's  temper  is  so  much  better  than  it  used  to  be, 
that  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  doing  away  with  the 
torture  of  grooming  has  caused  him  to  look  on  men  as 
pleasaiiter  companions  than  he  formerly  rated  them,  and 
is  on  his  good  behavior  as  long  as  he  is  exempted  from 
the  annoyance. 

PEECEPTOR. — The  irritation  consequent  on  the  prepa- 
ration of  a  horse  for  fast  work  cannot  be  done  away  with, 
as  the  necessary  amount  of  rubbing  inflicts  pain.  When 
this  is  increased  to  positive  agony,  from  the  want  of  sense 
— as  shown  by  the  man  you  mention  and  by  plenty  more 
of  the  same  stamp — it  is  no  wonder  that  the  horse's  tem- 
per becomes  spoiled,  so  much  so,  that  there  is  often  actual 
danger  in  dressing  them.  See  what  a  difference  there  is 
between  men  not  only  in  using  the  comb  and  brush,  but 
the  soft  piece  of  linen  called  a  rubbing  cloth.  The  bungler 
bears  on  as  if  drying  the  hair  was  to  be  accomplished  by 


EUBB  IN  G- CLOTHS—  SKE  WEES.  Ill 

pressure,  as  juice  is  squeezed  from  the  cane ;  tlie  little 
bulbs  at  the  root  of  the  hair  are  made  sore,  and  the  job  is 
not  so  quickly  or  effectually  done  as  with  the  light  motion 
that  absorbs  the  moisture  and  leaves  a  glow  over  the 
whole  body  that  is  pleasant  to  the  recipient.  There  is  no 
material  I  have  tried  for  rubbing  cloths  better  than  old 
salt  sacks  that  Liverpool  salt  is  imported  in.  The  salt  has 
given  them  properties,  not  possessed  by  the  cloth  before 
being  used.  They  are  heavy  and  soft,  taking  up  the  moist- 
ure more  readily  than  any  others.  Turkish  towels  are 
the  next  best,  and  after  they  have  been  used  awhile,  are 
capital  articles  for  the  purpose.  The  wisp  is  very  effective 
in  the  hands  of  a  good  groom,  and  when  I  see  a  new  hand 
make  one,  I  can  give  a  shrewd  guess  of  his  skill  in  the 
stable.  The  soft  wisp  when  rightly  made  takes  off  the 
loose  dirt.  With  a  little  more  twist  to  make  it  harder,  it 
polishes  the  hair  and  keeps  up  a  circulation  better  than  a 
cloth  or  brush.  Skewers,  or  "  skiwers,"  as  the  boys  per- 
sist in  calling  them,  will  be  found  very  convenient,  trivial 
as  they  appear.  The  blankets,  if  furnished  with  strings, 
will  do  away  with  their  use  in  a  great  measure,  though 
when  ahorse  comes  in  "boiling  hot,"  and  it  is  of  great 
importance  that  the  wind  should  not  strike  him,  then  the 
skewers  are  better  than  strings  to  fasten  the  blankets  just 
where  we  want  them.  They  should  be  made  of  tough, 
hard  hickory,  shaped  so  as  to  retain  their  place,  with 
strength  enough  not  to  break  easily.  When  a  horse  has 
to  work  in  clothes,  as  in  a  sweat,  they  should  be  used 
very  sparingly,  and  great  care  taken  that  they  are  placed 
so  as  not  to  wound  with  the  point,  or  abrade  the  skin 
with  the  friction.  The  head  ought  not  to  be  larger  than 
the  bulge.  The  bandages,  of  which  there  should  be  a  set 
for  every  horse,  are  made  about  three  yards  long,  and 
four  inches  wide,  using  soft  strong  flannel,  with  strings  of 
the  same  material.  The  color  is  not  important,  though  I 


12  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

must  acknowledge  a  penchant  for  red.  The  uses  of  ban- 
dages are  very  little  understood  by  many  trainers,  who 
use  them  on  occasions  when  they  are  actually  an  injury, 
and  neglect  to  apply  them  when  good  would  result.  Like 
the  shoeing,  where  I  differ  from  others,  I  will  give  my 
reasons  for  being  of  a  contrary  opinion.  If  they  are  not 
cogent  according  to  your  belief,  show  me  their  falsity. 
Converse  with  others,  even  those  whom  you  think  not  so 
well  informed.  There  are  points  where  they  may  be  likely 
to  know  more  than  both  of  us, — and  let  not  the  meanness 
of  the  source  detract  from  the  merit  of  the  position.  "We 
are  prone,  after  establishing  a  favorite  theory,  to  build  up 
every  weak  point ;  to  search  diligently  for  anything  that 
would  substantiate  it,  and  as  scrupulously  avoid  every- 
thing that  would  tend  to  weaken  the  structure.  As  an 
illustration  of  this,  we  will  take  your  favorite  hobby 
of  the  superiority  of  the  thoroughbreds  in  making 
fast  trotters.  How  carefully  you  dwell  on  what  gives 
strength  to  the  speculation  :  their  superiority  of  form  for 
rapid  movements  ;  their  capability  of  enduring  protracted 
exertion ;  their  being  better  supplied  with  nerve  force  ; 
their  recuperative  power  that  enables  them  to  "come 
again,"  disdaining  to  yield  when  every  muscle  and  tendon 
has  been  strung  to  its  utmost  tension,  commanding  vic- 
tory when  defeat  was  booked  as  a  certainty. 

You  see  all  this.  Do  you  see  as  clearly  the  effects  of 
generations  of  habitude  to  a  different  gait  ?  The  young 
grey-hound,  by  suckling  the  pointer,  and  subjected  to  the 
most  thorough  breaking,  will  never  be  of  use  to  point 
game.  The  high  temper,  will  it  brook  being  kept,  in  the 
excitement  of  a  race,  to  a  pace  that  the  animal  knows  is 
not  the  most  speedy,  and  suffer  others  to  lead  ?  However, 
I  do  not  want  to  open  the  question,  only  to  put  you  on  your 
guard  against  accepting  that  which  I  have  concluded  to  be 
right,  without  scrutinizing  closely  the  reasons  I  advance, 


BANDAGES.  113 

giving  them  no  more  weight,  because  you  are  favorably 
impressed  with  my  skill,  than  if  they  had  been  uttered  by 
some  one  not  familiar  with  the  subject.  A  person  must 
think  for  himself,  and  education  is  only  just  commencing 
when  we  put  our  knowledge  to  a  practical  test. 

Bandages  have  many  duties  to  perform.  To  a  horse 
that  has  good  sound  legs  that  do  not  swell  from  the  work 
he  receives,  their  only  use  is  to  prevent  evaporation,  and 
keep  the  legs  warm.  They  would  be  unnecessary  even  for 
this  purpose,  if,  after  the  legs  were  washed,  each  could  be 
rubbed  dry  at  the  same  time,  though  I  am  not  so  much 
given  to  hand-rubbing  the  legs  as  many  are,  and  would 
prefer  the  loosely  applied  bandage.  Should  the  work 
have  been  very  severe,  bandages  dipped  in  hot  water,  and 
left  on  all  night  without  being  permitted  to  get  dry,  will 
be  found  a  great  preventive  of  soreness.  If  the  legs  are 
inclined  to  tumefaction  and  tenderness,  wet  bandages  are 
almost  indispensable.  Bear  it  in  mind,  that  dry  bandages 
will  increase  the  inflammatory  symptoms,  and  are  never 
to  b*e  applied  when  inflammation  exists.  Warm  water, 
the  degree  of  heat  being  regulated  so  that  you  can  just 
bear  your  hand  in  it,  is  just  as  good  as  any  of  the  medi- 
cated compounds  so  much  in  vogue.  I  prefer  the  bandages 
to  fomentations,  not  that  they  are  better,  but  are  less 
troublesome  to  apply. 

The  reasons  for  my  preferring  wet  bandages  to  dry,  and 
warm  water  in  place  of  cold,  are,  that  the  moisture  acts 
as  a  poultice,  and  the  heat  of  the  water,  confined  by  the 
flannel,  keeps  up  a  perspiration  that  relieves  the  parts. 
When  applied  in  the  stable,  dry  bandages  should  be 
put  on  loose,  so  that  when  the  string  is  tied,  you  can  slip 
your  finger  easily  between  it  and  the  leg  ;  wet  ones  bear 
being  a  little  tighter.  It  is  quite  a  knack  to  put  on  ban- 
dages properly,  particularly  where  a  horse  has  to  take  his 
work  in  them.  Have  your  bandage  rolled  up  smoothly, 


114  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

and  commence  a  little  below  the  knee  or  hock,  winding  it 
carefully,  so  that  there  are  no  creases,  till  you  reach  the 
coronet ;  then  go  back  with  another  fold,  till  you  come 
back  above  the  place  where  you  commence,  and  tie  with 
the  same  care,  keeping  the  strings  Hat  as  they  cross  over 
each  other,  and  fasten. 

The  uses  of  bandages  when  at  work  are  to  support  the 
ligaments  and  tendons,  enabling  you  to  keep  a  horse  in 
train  that  would  otherwise  have  to  be  thrown  up,  and  to 
recover  from  a  strain  that  might  become  serious  if  he  was 
exercised  without  their  support.  That  there  is  danger  of 
needing  them  when  the  horse  becomes  well,  I  think  is 
unfounded,  if  their  use  is  discontinued  as  soon  as  the  leg 
has  regained  its  normal  condition.  I  broke  the  covering 
of  one  of  the  small  ligaments  in  my  hand,  the  sinew 
puffing  up  to  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut,  and  my  fingers 
almost  completely  paralyzed.  I  could  not  have  lifted  ten 
pounds.  I  immediately  applied  a  bandage,  with  a  small 
flannel  compress  over  the  rupture.  The  relief  was  instan- 
taneous, and  I  kept  at  niy  work,  nearly  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  I  wore  the  bandage  for  some  time,  and  on 
removing  it,  found  no  inconvenience  for  the  want  of  the 
support.  When  there  is  much  tumefaction,  the  pressure 
can  be  increased  by  tightening  the  bandage.  This  assists 
the  absorbing  vessels  to  take  up  the  matter  that  causes 
the  swelling,  and  expels  it  through  the  natural  channels. 
As  the  application,  in  actual  practice,  is  a  far  better  method 
of  learning  than  either  oral  or  written  instructions,  you 
will  become  familiar  with  my  bandaging  system  before  the 
season  is  through. 

The  clothing  of  horses  is  also  a  subject  on  which  there 
is  much  difference  of  opinion ;  the  advocates  of  either 
extreme  being  confident  in  the  wisdom  of  the  plan  they 
follow.  While  I  differ  from  both,  I  must  say,  if  compelled 
to  adopt  either,  I  would  go  with  those  who  discard  the 


CLOTHING.  115 

blankets.  There  is  a  medium  that  will  suit  me  better. 
Clothing  has  its  uses  that  can  hardly  be  dispensed  with 
in  this  variable  climate,  and  the  question  is,  how  will  we 
apply  it  to  the  best  advantage.  By  the  use  of  reasonable 
clothing  there  is  less  trouble  in  the  ventilation  of  the 
stable,  as  slight  changes  of  temperature  are  not  felt  when 
the  bodily  heat  is  partially  retained  by  the  application  of 
a  cover.  The  changes  in  a  day  or  night  range  frequently 
through  several  degrees  of  the  thermometer  ;  and  a  horse 
that  may  have  been  comfortable  with  a  linsey  in  the  stable, 
and  while  taking  his  afternoon  walk,  will  need  the  pro- 
tection of  kersey  from  then  till  morning.  This  is  the 
farthest  I  would  go,  from  a  linen  sheet  to  thick  kersey ; 
the  addition  of  one  or  two  blankets  being,  in  my  opinion, 
detrimental.  If  the  training  is  carried  on  till  late  in  the 
fall,  the  horse  must  be  allowed  to  start  a  growth  of  hair 
that  will  compensate  for  the  increased  cold.  The  clothes 
that  are  used  when  sweating  should  be  of  an  entirely 
different  character  from  those  intended  for  daily  wear. 
They  cannot  be  too  thick,  if  soft  and  pliable.  They  need 
to  be  soft  and  porous,  that  they  may  absorb  as  much  of 
the  perspiration  as  possible, — and  pliable  that  they  may 
not  injure  the  skin  when  brought  in  contact  with  it  by  the 
harness.  The  quantity  will  be  in  accordance  with  the 
design  of  the  sweat.  The  first  that  takes  place  in  the 
preparation  is  to  get  rid  of  surplus  fat,  not  expecting  as 
yet  much  advantage  to  the  lungs.  A  slow  pace  and  heavy 
clothing  will  accomplish  this  purpose.  As  we  advance, 
lighter  clothes — with  some  horses  none  at  all — and  a  fast 
pace  are  required.  Sweating  is  of  so  much  importance 
that  we  will  have  to  give  it  great  consideration ;  and  as 
the  time  for  your  horses  to  go  throiigh  the  fiery  ordeal 
is  yet  distant,  we  will  postpone  the  discussion  till  we 
bring  it  in  actual  practice.  The  cost  of  clothing,  at  the 
present  day,  is  one  of  the  heaviest  items  in  the  expenses  of 


116  HOESE     POETEAITUEE. 

training.  Much  of  this  will  be  saved  by  your  man  knowing 
how  to  take  care  of  the  clothes.  Cleanliness  is  the  first  and 
all-important  lesson.  The  bedding  must  be  arranged  so 
that  there  will  be  no  soiling  of  the  clothes.  The  horses 
must  be  taught  to  stale  outside  the  stable,  the  droppings 
removed  as  soon  as  they  fall,  and  the  most  fastidious  will 
not  detect  any  of  the  ammoniacal  scents  that  are  thought 
one  of  the  essential  disagreeabilities  attendant  on  keeping 
horses.  The  decoration  of  horses  is  a  matter  where  a 
good  deal  of  taste  can  be  exhibited  by  the  groom.  We 
have  scissors,  but  I  never  suffer  them  to  be  applied  to  the 
fetlocks.  Your  horses,  I  see,  are  not  disfigured  with  any 
long  hairs  (this  much,  at  least,  being  accomplished  by 
blood).  Those  that  have  these  unsightly  appendages  had 
better  retain  them.  No  amount  of  clipping  or  shearing 
will  give  them  a  high-bred  look,  and  it  certainly  increases 
the  danger  of  cracked  heels.  The  mane  neatly  braided 
and  tied  up  with  ribbons,  a  clean  well  polished  harness 
and  vehicle,  when  a  horse  is  going  into  a  race,  looks  well, 
and  is  due  your  own  character  for  care,  and  gratifies  the 
spectators.  A  horse  that  comes  on  the  track  neither  too 
high  or  low  in  flesh,  a  blooming  coat,  bright  eye,  and 
elastic  step,  needs  very  little  aid  of  a  decorative  character 
to  attract  admiration. 

PUPIL. — I  thank  you  for  the  hint  to  scan  closely  the 
reasons  for  a  distinctive  plan  in  the  training  of  trotters. 
I  heartily  coincide  in  the  idea  that  our  education  only 
begins  when  we  think  for  ourselves,  in  lieu  of  the  teacher 
finding  all  the  brains.  I  shall  leave  the  answering  of 
your  remarks  about  my  predilection  for  blood,  till  I  re- 
sume the  history  of  the  breeding  farm,  only  begging  j  our 
leave  to  call  attention  to  the  well-authenticated  fact  of  a 
black  sow  making  a  famous  pointer,  showing  all  the  en- 
thusiam  for  the  sport  of  the  best  trained  dog,  and  when 
her  owner  would  not  go  to  the  field,  traveling  several 


MINOR     DUTIES     OF     THE     STABLE.       117 

miles  to  the  house  of  his  brother,  knowing  he  would  ac- 
company her. 

Careful  attention  to  the  minor  duties  of  the  stable  is 
very  material,  and  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  for  me 
to  find  are  grooms  that  will  attend  to  them.  "  Order  is 
everything "  in  all  kinds  of  business,  and  nowhere  more 
important  than  in  the  training  stable.  Sobriety  cannot 
be  expected  of  the  men  if  the  trainer  himself  drinks  too 
much  ;  and  it  would  be  an  insuperable  objection  with  me 
to  place  horses  in  the  hands  of  a  man  wrho  ever  got  drunk. 
The  results  of  one  spree  might  do  more  harm  than  a 
year's  careful  handling  had  done  good.  Inciting  a  taste 
for  reading  in  those  who  have  the  care  of  horses  is  one  of 
the  most  effective  ways  of  making  valuable  men.  Ideas 
are  fastened  on  the  mind  while  pondering  over  the  views 
of  others,  as  expressed  in  writing,  that  are  more  difficult 
to  obliterate  than  if  received  orally.  We  read  and  com- 
pare with  our  own  views,  either  eradicating  erroneous 
impressions,  or  strengthening  those  that  were  correct.  I 
am  very  glad  that  you  are  going  to  make  the  subject  of 
sweating  one  of  major  importance.  The  little  knowledge 
I  possess  of  training  horses  has  been  acquired  more  by 
reading  and  study  than  observing  others.  It  is  true  I 
have  watched  those  who  were  in  high  repute  as  masters  of 
the  art,  but  have  often  failed  to  see  the  force  of  the  plan 
they  were  pursuing,  and  no  part  of  the  system  has  been 
so  blind  to  me  as  "  the  scrapes  "  they  gave  their  horses. 
I  have  seen  them  put  blankets  on  a  horse  every  day  for 
two  weeks,  without  preparation  or  after  care,  thus  nega- 
tiving the  benefit  derived  from  the  flow  of  the  fluids. 

Those  who  train  race  horses  have  to  be  in  a  manner 
proficient,  as  the  best  race  horse  in  the  world  is  easily 
beaten  if  he  falls  much  short  of  .the  mark  in  condition. 
With  the  trotting  horse,  while  it  is  more  of  a  science  to 
overcome  natural  bias,  keeping  a  horse  in  the  excitement 

6 


118  HOKSE    POETRAITUEE. 

of  a  hotly  contested  race  at  a  pace  that  he  knows  is  not 
his  fastest,  still  the  want  of  condition  is  not  so  apparent, 
and  a  horse  will  make  a  very  creditable  performance 
trotting,  when  one  in  the  same  condition  would  fall  im- 
measurably short  of  his  true  form  on  the  racing  turf. 
My  idea  is,  that  horses  are  oftener  got  out  of  condition 
from  injudicious  sweating  than  all  other  causes  combined; 
and  it  certainly  devolves  on  any  one  who  intends  to  prepare 
horses  for  fast  work  to  master  this  part  of  the  subject, 
and  become  as  familiar  with  the  necessity  for  sweating 
and  the  effects  of  it  as  patient  study  and  thought  will 
permit. 

PRECEPTOR. — All  fast  work  has  a  sudorific  tendency, 
which  can  be  either  augmented  or  diminished  by  means 
within  our  reach.  A  horse  that  does  not  sweat  after  suf- 
cient  exercise  is  in  a  very  bad  plight,  as  much  as  those 
that  perspire  very  freely  with  little  exertion.  One  is  said 
to  be  burned  or  baked,  the  other  washy.  I  can  only  say 
that  I  am  pleased  that  you  realize  the  importance  of  this 
part  of  training,  and  shall  look  for  mutual  benefit  when 
we  come  to  discuss  it.  The  morning  has  so  far  been  pro- 
fitably occupied  with  the  shoeing  and  stable  arrangements, 
we  will  now  go  to  dinner,  and  while  we  enjoy  the  repose 
of  our  usual  post-meridian  smoke,  I  will  listen  to  the 
continuation  of  the  breeding  department,  and  will  give 
you  a  history  of  how  I  became  a  "  trotting  trainer/'  I 
have  neglected  mentioning  a  very  dangerous  instrument 
we  left  hanging  so  quietly  on  a  hook, — one  that  we  cannot 
possibly  get  along  without ;  and  as  it  is  too  late  at  present 
to  give  it  the  attention  its  merits  and  demerits  deserve,  I 
will  postpone  the  subject  till  your  horses  require  its  use, 
which  I  hope  will  not  be  the  case  till  we  prepare  them  for 
their  first  sweat,  unless  there  happen  to  be  a  gross  feeder 
among  them.  I  allude  to  the  muzzle. 


CHAPTEE   IX. 

A  BACKWOODSMAN'S  STORY — THE  BREEDING  FARM — FEEDING — 

LONGEVITY — TRAINING-STABLES,   &C. 

PRECEPTOR. — How  much  the  welfare  of  mankind  de- 
pends on  trifles,  has  been  illustrated  by  Napoleon's  losing 
a  battle  in  consequence  of  an  indigestion.  The  "  Napo- 
leon of  the  turf"  was  unable  to  manage  the  race  between 
Eclipse  and  Henry  on  account  of  a  lobster  supper  eaten  the 
night  before.  Many  confidently  gave  this  as  the  reason 
why  Henry  was  beaten.  Men  dislike  to  acknowledge  their 
favorite  has  been  conquered  by  meeting  a  superior  horse, 
and  ransack  their  brains  for  excuses,  rather  than  admit 
the  fact,  apparent  to  an  unprejudiced  observer.  We  will 
have  to  be  gluttons  indeed  if  the  food  prepared  for  us  here 
does  any  injury.  The  excellent  cooking  gratifies  the  pal- 
ate, and  preserves  all  nutritive  qualities  of  the  food. 

There  is  no  one  who  despises  more  heartily  than  I  do 
.he  man  who  lives  only  to  eat,  who  is  only  gratified  by 
the  sensuous  delights  of  the  table,  and  is  unhappy  himself 
and  disagreeable  to  others,  when  some  dish  he  delights  in 
is  omitted,  or  falls  short  of  the  standard  of  perfection  of 
which  he  is  a  good  judge.  While  I  contemn  the  epicure, 
I  pity  the  man  who  does  not  care  what  he  eats  so  long  as 
hunger  is  appeased.  He  goes  through  the  world  deprived 
of  one  of  the  means  of  enjoyment  as  much  as  if  he  had 
lost  the  sense  of  hearing,  though  not  in  so  great  a  degree. 
You  have  one  thing  to-day  for  dinner,  speckled  trout,  that 
is  the  choicest  of  all  food  to  me,  save  fruit. — I  will  have 


120  HOUSE    PORTBAITUBE. 

to  place  a  curb  on  mv  desire,  or  I  will  certainly  do  myself 
injury  by  eating  too  many. 

PUPIL. — You  need  not  fear  any  injurious  effects  if  you 
should  gorge  yourself  with  them,  unless  the  mode  of 
cooking  give  qualities  not  possessed  when  made  edible 
by  the  simple  plan  I  have  followed  in  the  woods.  Veni- 
son and  brook  trout  I  have  known  men  eat  to  repletion 
without  the  least  inconvenience,  save  that  of  the  skin  being 
too  tight  to  hold  the  supplies  comfortably.  The  prepara- 
tion was  very  simple :  they  were  broiled  on  the  coals  under 
the  drippings  of  a  small  piece  of  salt  pork.  Whenever  I 
started  for  a  trip  in  the  woods,  I  engaged  a  man  to  hunt, 
fish,  and  superintend  the  preparation  of  the  camp.  One 
thus  employed  was  an  old  hunter  by  the  name  of  Kepler. 
He  owned  a  farm  and  saw-mill  on  the  bank  of  the  West 
Branch  of  he  Susquehanna  river,  yet  seemed  delighted 
to  embrace  the  opportunity  of  joining  our  expedition. 

He  was  a  very  successful  hunter,  and  the  first  night  of 
our  stay  in  the  woods  he  brought  in  a  deer  that  would 
dress  from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds.  Nine  men  completely 
demolished  it  before  we  left  the  camping  grounds  the  next 
morning.  Some  were  roasting  tit-bits  nearly  all  night. 
1  had  eaten  heartily,  and  was  lying  on  the  bed  of  hemlock 
boughs,  enjoying  the  quiet  solace  of  the  pipe.  Kepler 
was  telling  hunting  stories,  and  had  an  attentive  audienc*. 
in  the  members  of  the  corps.  To  most  of  them  forest 
life  was  a  novelty,  and  the  tales  were  listened  to  with  as 
much  avidity  as  they  had  devoured  the  venison.  One  of 
the  stories  appeared  to  me  highly  dramatic,  especially 
as  the  scene  was  located  near  our  present  camp,  and  in 
the  earnest  manner  it  was  related  by  the  old  hnnter,  the 
truth  was  guaranteed.  With  your  permission,  I  will  re- 
peat it,  without  expecting  it  will  strike  you  as  forcibly  as 
it  did  me. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  shall  be  delighted  to  hear  it.     Hunting 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN'S   STOEY.       121 

stories  were  always  favorites  of  mine,  and  we  are  in  no 
hurry  to  get  through  our  meal,  having  plenty  of  time  that 
cannot  be  more  profitably  employed  than  eating  leisurely, 
thereby  making  ^ligestion  easier.  When  I  have  a  horse 
that  bolts  his  feed,  as  if  he  were  afraid  of  losing  his  oats 
before  he  could  eat  them,  I  always  place  a  large  straight 
bib  in  his  mouth,  which  compels  him  to  better  mastication. 
When  I  am  too  much  hurried,  I  postpone  eating  till  the 
hurry  is  past. 

PUPIL. — Here  goes,  then,  for 

KEPLER'S  STORY* 

"  Fifteen  years  ago  this  fall,  five  on  us  started  out  on  a 
bar  hunt,  and  we  fixed  our  camp  a  little  lower  on  the  crick. 
While  we  wur  makin'  our  cabin,  Sam  Kurtz,  one  of  our 
best  hunters,  said  he  would  go  up  the  hill  and  kill  a  ven- 
zon,  that  we  might  have  something  fresh  for  our  first  sup- 
per. Sun  was  near  about  an  hour  high,  and  it  wan't  long 
till  we  heerd  the  crack  o'  Sam's  rifle.  By-and-bye  we 
heored  it  agin,  and  we  wondered  some,  as  we  knew  he 
never  missed,  and  one  blue  coat  was  all  we  wanted  at  a 
time.  We  kept  busy  on  our  work,  lookin'  every  ininnit 
for  Sam  to  come  in  with  his  deer,  as  it  was  only  a  little 
way  off  where  he  shot.  Not  comin'  we  hollod,  but  couldn't 
get  eny  answer.  This  kind  o'  skeerd  me,  and  I  was  afraid 
something  had  happened.  I  jest  told  the  other  three  to 
keep  on,  I'd  go  and  help  him  to  bring  in  the  meat.  I 
shouldered  my  rifle  and  started  for  where  I  heerd  the 
shots.  Afore  long,  I  struck  his  track  and  followed  it  up 
the  brow  of  the  hill.  Directly  I  found  a  young  painter 
cub  shot  right  through  and  through  ;  he  laid  in  a  little 
thicket  of  beech  staddles,  and  right  on  t'other  side  of  it 
there  laid  another.  This  made  me  step  mighty  keerful 
and  look  well  to  the  priming  of  my  rifle.  Pretty  quick  I 


122  HOUSE     PORTRAITUBE. 

heern  a  purrin  kind  of  a  noise,  and  looking  up  saw  a  sight 
that  raised  every  hair  on  end  and  set  my  heart  thumpin' 
as  it  would  break  throug  my  wawmus.  In  the  crotch  of 
a  big  white-oak  that  leaned  a  little  k^terin  to  me,  sat  a 
big  painter  right  straddle  o'  poor  Sam,  and  I  knew  by 
the  limsey  way  he  hung  it  was  all  day  with  him.  The 
second  look  set  my  blood  boilin ',  and  every  cord  in  me 
was  as  stiff  as  steel.  I  cocked  my  gun — didn't  look  for 
nary  rest — and  drew  a  fine  bead  right  atween  the  critter's 
eyes.  I  saw  by  the  whippin'  o'  her  tail  that  she  was  not 
satisfied  with  what  she  had  done,  but  wanted  more  blood. 
1  drew  a  long  breath  and  pulled  trigger ;  down  she  came, 
falling  within  ten  steps  of  me,  and  the  way  she  made  the 
leaves  fly  was  awful.  Sam  laid  there, — he  had  got  wedged 
into  the  fork  so  hard  that  the  painter  falling  didn't  dis- 
lodge him.  I  hollod  like  mad,  and  heerd  them  answer 
me  from  the  cabin.  When  they  came  up  I  couldn't  say  a 
word,  but  pointed  to  the  tree.  They  looked  at  Sam  and 
then  at  the  painter,  and  their  looks  told  me  they  under- 
stood it  all.  How  to  get  him  down  was  the  trouble,  as 
we  didn't  want  to  fall  the  tree  for  fear  of  jammin'  him  ; 
so,  after  a  good  deal  of  bother,  I  climbed  up  to  where  he 
was,  and  stannin'  on  a  limb,  hoisted  him  on  to  his  feet. 
The  whole  back  of  his  head  was  crushed  where  the  var- 
mint had  bit  him.  I  took  the  belts  o'  my  huntin'  pouch 
and  his'n,  and  puttin'  them  under  his  arms  buckled  it 
crisscross  of  my  shoulders  so  that  he  was  right  agin'  my 
back.  '  Twas  a  queer  feelin'  that  ran  through  me  as  his 
weight  came  on  me  when  I  started  to  come  down  the  tree; 
but  I  knew  Sam  would  have  done  as  much  for  me,  so  I 
didn't  mind  it  more  than  he  had  bin  alive.  We  took  some 
of  the  staddles,  laid  him  across  them  and  carried  him  to 
the  camp.  I  tell  you,  boys,  there  was  no  supper  eat  that 
night,  an'  if  there  was  a  man  lying  here  now  who'd  been 
killed  by  a  painter,  you  wouldn't  be  toastin'  bits  o'  deer- 


FATE     OF     THE     PAXTHER-HUNTER.      123 

meat  on  a  stick.  Next  morning  I  skinned  her,  and  we 
stretched  the  skin  on  two  poles  and  laid  on  it  all  was  left 
of  the  best  hunter  from  Lockhaven  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Sinnemahoning,  a  man  as  true  as  the  rifle  he  carried, 
never  missed  fire  or  took  the  back  track  of  friend  or  foe. 
We  followed  the  branch  to  where  it  jined  Shintown  run, 
and  then  crossed  the  pints  and  over  the  edge  of  the 
mountain  home.  The  bad  news  spread  quick,  and  afore 
long  the  whole  settlement  was  at  my  house.  I  took  the 
painter-skin  for  a  shroud,  wrappin  him  in  it  and  puttin 
him  in  the  coffin,  laid  his  rifle  and  huntin'  knife  on  the 
top  of  it,  and  buried  him  under  the  big  tree  on  the  bank 
of  the  river.  I  had  no  more  heart  for  huntin'  that  fall, 
though  the  bar  war  very  thick,  but  just  tinkered  round 
the  mill  an'  helped  the  boys  get  out  lumber.  But  lots  o' 
times  since,  when  lying  in  the  woods  alone,  I  have  seen 
Sam  hanging  so  limber  like  in  the  big  white-oak." 

Every  one  was  still  at  the  conclusion  of  this  story,  and 
nothing  was  heard  but  the  dash  of  the  waters  and  the 
murmurs  of  the  tree-tops.  Having  no  inclination  to  sleep, 
I  refilled  and  lit  my  pipe,  listening  to  the  music  of  the 
water  and  the  song  of  the  wind  drawing  through  the  ra- 
vine, making  .ZEolian  harps  of  the  twigs,  and  singing 
a  grander  requiem  for  Sam  Kurtz  than  ever  echoed 
through  vaulted  cathedral  for  mighty  conqueror  or  re- 
nowned statesman. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  should  not  have  slept  any  sounder  for 
being  in  the  neighborhood  of  such  lurking  "  varmints." 
As  there  are  a  couple  of  hours  before  we  revisit  the  barn, 
we  will  adjourn  to  the  piazza,  and  I  will  listen  to  your 
continuation  of  the  breeding  farm.  I  will  have  to  retract 
my  promise  of  giving  you  so  much  of  my  history  as  re- 
lates to  my  adopting  the  profession  of  driving  trotters, 
postponing  it  to  a  future  period,  as  I  am  not  at  present 
in  the  humor.  You  can  rejoice  over  escaping  the  in- 


124  HOBSE    POETEAITUEE. 

fliction  at  present,  as  I  shall  have  many  a  long  story  to 
tell  before  the  summer  is  ended. 

PUPIL. — In  place  of  rejoicing,  I  will  lament  that  you 
have  resolved  to  postpone  the  relation,  having  a  good  deal 
of  anxiety  to  learn  the  reason  why  you  forsook  the  grace- 
ful gallop  of  the  young  thoroughbred — the  very  poetry 
of  motion — for  the  rougher  gait  of  the  trotter.  I  shall 
resume  my  own  history  witfc  pleasure,  as  I  hope  soon 
to  convince  you  of  the  points  where,  as  the  lawyers  say, 
we  "join  issue," — the  profit  of  raising  thoroughbreds  for 
trotters,  and  failing  that,  the  finest  carriage  horses  in  the 
world.  I  left  off  with  the  first  colts  a  year  old,  fields  laid 
out,  paddocks  and  barns  built,  but  with  neither  track  nor 
training  stables  erected.  We  will  first  put  our  yearlings 
in  a  suitable  pasture  and  then  build  the  stables  and  track. 
The  field  selected  is  one  lying  on  the  side  of  the  bluff, 
where  the  herbage  is  the  shortest.  This  is  chosen  for  the 
reason  that  we  want  their  supply  of  food  to  be  mainly 
grain,  as  tending  to  form  more  muscle  and  tendon,  and  a 
denser,  finer  bone,  than  if  living  on  succulent  food.  They 
are  fed  regularly  twice  a  day,  three  quarts  apiece  in  the 
morning  of  oats,  and  in  the  evening  six  or  eight  ears  of 
sound  corn.  The  slope  of  the  bluff  is  quite  at  a  sharp 
angle  from  the  level  field  at  the  foot  of  it,  in  many  places 
steep,  with  patches  of  hazel  bushes  along  the  hill-side. 
The  frolicsome  spirit  of  the  colts  leads  them  to  gambol 
up  and  athwart  the  hill,  leaping  the  smaller  clumps  of 
bushes,  and  bringing  every  muscle  into  full  play.  They 
are  salted  twice  a  week,  at  which  time  the  halters  are  put 
on  and  their  feet  examined,  to  see  that  the  horn  is  not 
breaking  away  unequally.  There  being  no  stones  to  wear 
the  hoof,  it  requires  more  care  than  it  otherwise  would, 
and  we  will  have  to  cut  away  the  extra  supply  that  threat- 
ens to  give  a  wrong  set  to  the  pastern.  Should  they  not 
keep  in  as  good  order  as  we  would  like,  the  grain  must 


LONGEVITY     OF     TI1E     THOEOUGHBEED.      125 

be  increased.  The  prejudice  existing  here  against  using 
corn  as  food  for  horses  may  have  arisen  from  good 
causes,  as  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  the  flint  vari- 
eties, and  the  larger,  softer  grain  grown  at  the  South  and 
"West.  I  am  well  satisfied  that  good  horses  can  be  reared 
on  dent  corn,  having  seen  many  that  were  called  on  to  go 
both  "fast  and  far"  that  never  were  fed  a  pound  of  any 
other  kind  of  grain.  Still  my  plan  would  be  to  feed  a 
variety ;  and  as  all  kinds  can  be  grown  in  Iowa  with  a 
tithe  of  the  labor  bestowed  in  the  East,  we  need  not  re- 
strict them  to  either  corn  or  oats.  With  one  of  the  two 
horse  corn-plows,  now  in  general  use,  one  man  and  a 
pair  of  horses  can  plant  and  cultivate  in  the  best  manner 
eighty  acres  of  corn. 

I  find  there  is  also  a  belief  here — sanctioned  by  the 
writings  of  a  man  who  has  long  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  list  as  a  driver  of  trotters — that  feeding  grain  as  prac- 
ticed by  the  best  feeders  of  racing  colts  is  detrimental. 

In  proof  of  which,  the  withdrawal  of  horses  from  the 
running  turf,  when  comparatively  young,  is  instanced, 
claiming  that,  because  they  come  to  maturity  earlier,  they 
will  likewise  sooner  decay.  This  is  not  in  accordance 
with  proof  from  the  record,  which  will  distinctly  show 
that  the  thoroughbred  lives  longer  than  members  of  any 
other  family  of  the  equine  species,  owing  to  an  inherent 
heartiness  of  constitution,  and  the  care  taken  to  nurture 
him  well  when  young.  I  remember  taking  from  the  old 
Turf  Kegister  of  183-,  the  first  twenty  names  from  an 
obituary  list  of  blood  stallions.  Their  average  age  was 
twenty-two  years.  In  the  same  magazine,  there  was  a 
history  of  American  Eclipse  from  the  pen  of  his  breeder. 
He  gave  the  amount  of  grain  he  was  fed  daily  from  the 
time  of  weaning  till  he  was  put  in  train,  and  it  was  a  very 
liberal  allowance.  As  he  lived  to  nearly  forty  years,  it 
will  not  require  long  arguments  to  show  that  the  feed  dH 

6* 


126  HOUSE     POKTEAITFBE. 

not  shorten  his  days.  It  would  be  tedious  to  follow  the 
record,  although  those  familiar  with  the  celebrities  of  the 
turf  that  have  figured  within  the  present  century,  will 
agree  with  me  when  I  assert  that  a  majority  of  them  have 
lived  to  old  age.  It  would  be  an  idle  waste  of  time  for 
me  to  tell  you  the  reasons  for  horses  leaving  the  turf  when 
young,  being  better  informed  on  that  point  than  I  am.  I 
will  advance  an  idea,  however,  feeling  confident  of  main- 
taining it  with  proofs  of  the  most  irrefragible  kind, — that 
no  thoroughbred  colt,  even  if  put  to  trotting  work  when 
two  years  old,  will  ever  be  injured  unless  the  exercise  is 
prolonged  to  an  extent  that  would  kill  two  or  three  dung- 
hills. When  two-year-olds  will  stand  the  necessary  train- 
ing to  run  a  dash'  of  a  mile  in  1:50  or  less,  there  need  not 
be  much  apprehension  of  hurting  them  with  trotting  work, 
unless  pounded  to  pieces  on  a  hard  track.  Take  an  aged 
horse,  of  some  of  the  breeds  in  vogue  for  trotting,  one 
that  has  speed  enough  to  run  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  in  that 
time,  and  before  his  trainer  could  get  the  length  in  him 
by  sufficient  work,  his  machinery  would  be  worn  out,  and 
still  this  animal  might  stand  a  preparation  to  trot  mile 
heats,  3  in  5,  if  he  ever  had  the  foot,  to  place  them  "  low 
down  in  the  thirties."  I  hope  yet  to  see  a  thoroughbred 
that  will  be  able  to  speed  with  Dexter,  Wilkes,  or  Toronto 
Chief,  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  you  will  see  a  trotter 
that  will  finish  a  race  and  make  play  of  it.  Why,  he 
would  bowl  along  the  home  stretch  of  a  seventh  heat  as 
if  he  were  at  exercise.  I  do  not  intend  to  imply  injustice 
to  the  hero  of  the  fastest  time  on  record.  Nothing  but 
the  good  blood  derived  from  the  patriarchs,  Sir  Archy 
and  Messenger,  ever  enabled  him  to  do  the  deed ;  and  if 
the  rest  of  the  vital  fluid  that  courses  through  his  veins, 
were  of  the  same  Stirling  kind,  the  wonderful  flight  of  the 
first  half-mile  would  have  been  kept  up  to  the  end,  and  a 


ENGLISH     AND     AMEBICAN     COLTS.       127 

mark  left  that  no  part-bred  horse  might  ever  expect  to 
excel. 

PKECEPTOE, — I  must  call  your  attention  to  one  fact  that 
will  upset  all  your  arguments,  "  that  none  but  the  thor- 
oughbred does  it  quite  well,"  as  Fanny  Kemble  said.  The 
fastest  Cesarewitch  ever  ran  was  won  by  Mr.  Sykes  (half- 
bred),  in  1855.  He  was  five  years  old,  and  carried  ninety- 
two  pounds,  running  the  two  miles  two  furlongs  and 
twenty-eight  yards,  in  3:55— to  a  mile  in  l:43f.  Prioress, 
a  year  younger,  and  carrying  one  pound  more  weight,  was 
4:09  in  running  the  dead  heat,  and  4:07  the  deciding  one. 
So  the  half-bred  Mr.  Sykes  must  have  run  a  quarter  horse 
clip,  and  kept  it  up  for  over  two  miles  and  a  quarter. 
Should  not  Dexter — having  at  least  as  much  blood  as  that 
— keep  up  his  rate  of  going  for  a  mile,  as  well  as  one  with 
a  pedigree  as  clear  as  the  Moon  of  the  Mountain  ? 

PUPIL. — You  have  lost  sight  of  an  important  fact  in  the 
case  of  Mr.  Sykes.  The  English  call  a  horse  half-bred  if 
he  has  only  one  part  in  sixty-four  of  other  blood.  Not 
knowing  the  pedigree  of  the  horse,  only  that  he  was  got 
by  a  St.  Leger  winner,  Sir  Tatton  Sykes,  I  am  unable  to 
say  how  much  blood  he  possessed.  Yet  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful performance,  even  for  a  thoroughbred.  The  English 
system  of  raising  colts  is  still  more  on  the  forcing  plan 
than  is  followed  in  this  country,  adhering  to  the  York- 
shire motto,  "that  half  a  horse  goes  down  his  throat." 
An  eminent  American  breeder  thus  writes  from  Doncaster, 
in  1840,  to  the  Old  Spirit :  "  The  first  striking  difference 
which  presented  itself  between  these  and  American  bred 
horses,  of  corresponding  ages,  was  the  size  of  the  English 
horses.  I  think  I  saw  foals  eight  months  old  as  large 
as  our  yearlings,  yearlings  as  large  as  our  two-year-olds, 
and  two-year-old  colts  as  large  as  our  three-year-olds.  I 
was  much  astonished  to  find  that  colts  a  few  months  old 
had  shoes  on,  and  gave  evidence  of  having  been  care- 


128  HOUSE     POETEAITURE. 

fully  groomed  from  the  time  they  were  old  enough  to  bear 
this  attention.  Whilst  I  could  not  withhold  the  expression 
of  my  astonishment  at  the  extraordinary  size  of  the  colts 
and  fillies,  there  was  but  one  in  this  number  that  elicited 
anything  like  surprise  from  any  Englishman  present,  and 
this  was  a  brown  yearling  called  Artful  Dodger,  whose 
pedigree  I  have  forgotten.  But  for  this  I  should  have 
supposed  the  largest  and  choicest  colts  had  been  selected 
from  each  stud  for  sale."  The  record  of  imported  horses 
that  have  been  reared  in  a  manner  to  gain  a  year  in  size 
at  two  years  old,  will  show  that  their  lives  have  been  pro- 
longed beyond  the  usual  term  of  horse  life.  Leviathan, 
Priam,  Trustee,  Eoman,  Sovereign,  Glencoe,  &c.,  &c.,  are 
proofs  of  the  truth  of  this  statement. 

I  may  be  wrong,  thinking  that  part-bred  horses  are  not 
able  to  keep  up  great  trotting  speed  for  even  a  mile  ;  or 
rather  that  when  the  trot  becomes  almost  as  speedy  as 
the  run,  none  but  the  purest  will  be  likely  to  do  it 
without  great  fatigue.  I  have  seen  a  horse  that  could  trot 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  31  seconds,  the  half-mile  in 
L:  05,  but  could  not  trot  the  heat  in  2:35,  to  save  his 
worthless  life.  Now  a  blood  horse  that  could  go  the  first 
quarter  in  31  seconds  would  trot  the  mile  in  2  : 05,  as  far 
as  tiring  is  concerned.  He  might  be  unsteady  and  frac- 
tious, but  if  such  a  horse  as  the  one  mentioned,  if  he  did 
not  break  in  his  last  quarter,  would  be  as  good  or  better 
than  in  the  first. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  will  certainly  not  argue  that  colts,  if  al- 
lowed room  to  exercise,  can  be  fed  too  much  grain,  as  I 
am  satisfied  the  best  horses,  and  those  likely  to  live  the 
longest,  are  reared  in  this  way.  As  to  the  withdrawal  of 
them  from  the  turf  when  four  or  five  years  old,  the 
reasons  are  patent  to  any  one  at  all  acquainted  with 
racing.  Inability  to  carry  the  scale  of  weights,  as  now 
regulated,  is  one  of  the  most  fruitful  sources.  Those  that 


BETSEY     MALOKE     A  K  D     CHARMER.       129 

have  been  well  fed  when  young  are  far  more  certain  to 
have  the  stamina  to  do  this  than  others  not  so  fortunate 
in  their  breeding.  Neither  will  I  contend  against  your 
claiming  so  much  for  the  thoroughbred.  But  you,  just 
as  certainly,  will  not  acknowledge  the  merits  of  those 
which  have  half  or  more  of  the  same  blood.  Half  or  three- 
quarter  bred  horses  for  trotting,  answer  every  purpose  as 
well  as  if  they  had  the  full  modicum  necessary  to  remove 
the  h.  b.  stain  in  the  English  Stud  Book.  Not  only  trot- 
ters, but  some  of  the  very  best  racers,  could  not  boast 
of  more.  Look  at  old  Betsey  Malone,  the  "traveling 
terror,"  never  losing  a  race  but  when  she  fell  down,  win- 
ning twenty-one  in  succession,  at  all  distances,  leaving 
the  turf  when  five  years  old,  from  an  accident  that  re- 
sulted in  blindness. 

Her  daughter,  Charmer,  winning  sixteen  three-mile 
races,  emulating  her  mother  by  never  losing  one  at  this 
distance,  and  in  the  aggregate  number,  recording  nearly 
double  as  many  as  any  of  her  illustrious  sire's  get,  never 
handing  in  her  checks  till  ten  years  old — her  valedictory 
a  second  four  mile  heat  in  7  :43|.  The  first  named  mare, 
by  Stockholder,  dam  by  Potomac,  with  the  Glencoe 
added  in  her  nearly  as  celebrated  daughter,  is  not  a  very 
extensive  pedigree,  and  has  one  advantage  of  not  requir- 
ing a  horse  memory,  like  that  of  Dr.  Weldon,  to  remem- 
ber it. 

PUPIL. — I  have  not  succeeded  in  making  myself  under- 
stood, as  I  never  intended  to  take  away  any  of  the  well 
merited  honors  won  by  the  part-bred  heroes  and  heroines. 
Yet,  I  fully  believe  the  better  bred  the  horse,  the  better 
performer  he  will  be  at  anything  requiring  speed,  and 
will  fortify  myself  with  illustrations  that  are  not  remem- 
bered quite  as  clearly  as  I  would  like  to  have  them,  before 
adducing  them  as  proof.  Betsy  Malone,  I  am  in  hopes, 
will  be  rescued  from  the  obloquy  that  has  always  rested 


130 


HORSE     PORTRAITURE 


on  her  and  her  descendants.  I  am  informed  by  a  friend, 
that  he  had  made  a  discovery  that  her  grandam  was  by 
imported  Diomed,  and  the  only  flaw  was  that  derived 
from  the  Potomac  strain. 

I  will  now  proceed  to  build  my  training-stable  ;  hoping 
from  your  kind  promise,  that,  if  the  fitting-up  is  different 
from  what  you  would  recommend,  you  will  inform  me. 
The  location  I  have  chosen  is  where  the  trees  flank  the 


WALK. 

WALK. 

WALK. 

STALLS 
8x14  feet. 

12 

STALLS 

8x14  feet. 

ALLEY. 

WALK. 

60  feet. 


TKAIKIHG-STABLE.  131 

house  to  the  north-east,  and  under  their  shelter.  There 
is  a  little  knoll  there  that  will  give  perfect  drainage,  and 
the  track  will  approach  within  one  hundred  yards.  Twenty 
stalls  will  be  as  many  as  we  will  need  for  a  time,  and  the 
form  is  such  that  they  can  be  added,  without  detriment  to 
comfort  or  appearance. 

I  have  drawn  a  rough  sketch  of  the  ground  floor,  which 
will  aid  me  in  making  my  ideas  intelligible.  The  whole 
area  enclosed  is  sixty  by  a  hundred  feet.  Of  this  space 
ten  feet  in  width  is  taken  up  for  a  walk,  the  benefits  of 
which  will  readily  be  seen.  By  having  this  walk  sheltered 
from  storms  we  never  miss  the  advantage  of  having  the 
horses  exercised,  no  matter  how  bad  the  weather  is  ;  and 
in  this  northern  latitude,  by  having  it  well  littered  with 
straw,  we  can  gain  a  month  in  preparing  the  horses, 
equalizing  our  chance  in  the  spring  races  with  those  living 
farther  South.  The  outer  wall  is  so  arranged  that  there 
are  large  openings  to  both  doors  and  windows;  hence, 
when  the  weather  requires  it,  there  can  be  as  free  a  circu- 
lation of  air  as  if  entirely  open.  The  height  of  this  story 
is  ten  feet,  with  the  same  distance  to  the  plate,  making 
the  post  twenty  feet  high.  There  is  a  double  row  of  box 
stalls,  with  an  alley  between  twelve  feet  wide  ;  each  stall 
is  8x14  feet,  sealed  with  matched  boards,  presenting 
a  uniform  smooth  surface.  Well  seasoned  black  walnut 
is  the  material  used,  which  can  be  got  in  this  section  of 
Iowa  nearly  as  cheap  as  pine.  There  are  two  doors  in 
each  stall,  one  opening  to  the  walk,  the  other  to  the  alley. 
There  are  openings  for  ventilation  at  the  top  of  the  stall, 
with  others  at  the  base  to  pass  off  the  heavy,  impure 
air,  that  otherwise  would  not  escape  when  the  door  is 
closed.  The  feed  boxes  are  arranged  in  one  corner  of 
the  stall,  sliding  through  a  place  cut  in  the  wall,  and 
when  not  in  use  are  left  projecting  into  the  alley.  The 
hay  is  fed  by  placing  it  on  the  straw  forming  the  bedding, 


132  HORSEPOKTRAITTJitE. 

so  that  the  horse  has  nothing  in  the  way  to  injure  him- 
self. Should  he  want  to  roll,  there  is  plenty  of  room  for 
him  to  do  so,  and  it  is  impossible  to  get  himself  in  a  po- 
sition where  he  will  be  hurt.  There  are,  of  course,  no 
halters  used,  as  that  would  negative  the  benefit  of  our 
boxes,  and  reduce  them  to  the  level  of  a  space  six  feet  by 
ten.  The  window  is  at  the  top  of  the  stall,  and  the  doors 
are  divided  so  that  the  upper  portion  can  be  left  open 
when  desired.  The  whole  of  the  feeding  and  bedding  is 
supplied  from  the  alley.  The  hay,  straw,  and  feed,  are 
stored  in  the  upper  story.  There  are  spouts  that  bring 
the  oats  and  cracked  corn  into  receptacles  convenient  to 
the  feed  boxes,  and  shutes  to  slide  the  hay  and  straw  where 
it  is  required.  There  are  stairs  that  can  be  slung  to  the 
joists  overhead  when  needed  to  be  out  of  the  way,  as  we 
drive  the  wagons  loaded  with  grain  through  the  alley, 
and  discharge  the  load,  by  the  help  of  a  block  and  tackle, 
into  the  bins  overhead.  This  upper  story  can  be  divided 
so  as  to  meet  our  wants.  Upwards  of  one  hundred 
thousand  cubic  feet  from  the  floor  to  the  ridge-pole  is 
accommodation  sufficient ;  and  after  storing  all  the  hay 
and  straw  required  for  the  season's  use,  we  have  plenty  of 
room  left  for  grain  bins,  harness  room,  sleeping  apart- 
ments, &c.  The  foreman's  room  should  be  large  and 
nicely  fitted  up,  adorned  with  prints  of  the  most  cele- 
brated horses,  and  plenty  of  books  and  papers  to  foster 
the  love  of  reading,  which  you  and  every  one  who  has 
tried  it  with  the  boys,  have  found  so  advantageous.  As 
more  room  is  needed,  it  can  be  added  by  merely  making 
the  building  longer. 

PRECEPTOR. — Your  stable  is  a  novelty  to  me,  and  before 
I  condemn  it,  I  will  have  to  follow  your  plan  of  studying 
the  record  to  adduce  proof  that  it  might  be  bettered.  It 
covers  a  good  deal  of  ground  to  get  twenty  stalls,  but  has 
advantages  that  will  probably  overbalance  the  added 


MATERIAL  FOR  STABLE.        133 

expense.  You  will  need  more  room  on  your  farm  than 
would  be  required  if  the  grain,  straw,  and  hay,  had  to  be 
purchased,  as  you  will  haul  directly  from  the  field,  and 
will  save  re-handling  by  having  storage  enough  for  a 
season's  supply.  A  very  convenient,  stable  of  six  or  eight 
stalls  can  be  built  on  the  octagonal  plan,  and  some  day 
I  will  show  you  a  drawing  a  friend  gave  me,  which  I  think 
is  very  good. 

I  have  thought  that,  on  a  farm  where  the  material  would 
be  convenient,  concrete  could  be  used,  securing  a  cheaper 
building  than  stone,  brick,  or  wood.  The  material  you 
would  use  in  the  construction  of  yours,  you  have  said 
nothing  about.  I  presume  it  would  be  a  frame. 

PUPIL. — I  would  build  the  outside  walls  of  the  yellow 
lime-stone,  a  quarry  being  opened  at  only  a  short  distance  to 
obtain  the  stone  the  house  was  built  with.  A  wall  eighteen 
inches  thick  would  require  five  hundred  perch,  and  can 
be  built  there  for  $1,500.  By  using  the  teams  and  men 
employed  on  the  farm,  and  burning  the  lime  on  the  place, 
the  cost  would  be  greatly  reduced.  The  interior  should 
be  after  the  plan  of  framing  at  first  termed  in  derision 
"balloon,"  but  which  has  taken  the  place  of  the  heavy 
timber  once  in  vogue.  By  using  stone  for  the  exterior, 
the  building  will  not  only  be  far  more  permanent,  but  the 
expense  of  paint  is  done  away  with,  and  a  more  agreeable 
temperament  is  secured.  The  only  drawback  is  that  it 
would  interfere  with  making  more  room,  if  required. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  dampness  consequent  on  the  use  of 
stone  would  be  obviated  by  the  walking-space  between 
the  walls  and  the  stable  proper ;  and  when  it  can  be  built 
as  cheaply  as  $12  for  a  hundred  cubic  feet,  I  can  see  no 
good  reason  for  not  using  it.  As  to  the  want  of  room, 
the  twenty  stalls  will  probably  be  all  you  will  need  for  a 
long  while,  unless  the  proportion  of  trotters  among 
your  thoroughbreds  is  far  greater  than  I  expect.  I  sup- 


134  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

pose  those  looked  for  to  make  the  finest  of  carriage 
horses  would  do  to  have  their  quarters  assigned  them  in 
the  boxes  vacated  by  the  brood  mares. 

PUPIL. — It  is  very  true  that  the  room  in  the  training- 
stable  is  only  intended  for  those  we  hope  to  dignify  with 
the  name  of  trotters.  The  proportion  can  only  be  found 
as  the  man  was  going  to  discover  the  race  horse,  by 
"  sarching." 

I  am  glad  that  you  have  placed  yourself  in  a  position 
at  the  outset  to  admit  that  there  is  a  likelihood  of  once 
in  a  while  getting  a  trotter  from  the  source  I  have  such 
great  expectations  from,  as  I  havs  found  plenty  of  men 
who  were  so  bitterly  jealous  of  the  praises  awarded  the 
thoroughbred,  that  they  could  not  bring  themselves  to 
acknowledge  there  was  any  good  in  them ;  f ooli shly  think- 
ing the  merit  admitted  would  detract  from  the  fame  of 
other  breeds  in  which  they  had  some  interest. 

The  prices  that  are  now  paid  for  stylish,  good-sized  car- 
riage horses  would  warrant  the  outlay  I  have  contemplated 
in  the  purchase,  stock,  and  fitting-up  of  this  breeding 
farm,  even  if  we  never  produced  a  fast  trotter.  I  look  to 
these,  as  a  means  to  compensate  us,  as  much  as  to  those 
with  the  more  attractive  quality  of  speed;  there  being  a 
good  deal  less  outlay  in  fitting  carriage-horses  for  market. 
I  have  not  time  for  the  disquisition  now,  and  will  also 
have  to  put  off  building  the  track,  as  I  have  already  taken 
up  the  allotted  time. 


CHAPTEE   X. 

COLTS  IN  THE  FIRST  STAGE  OF  PREPARATION — ROUTINE  OF 
WALKING,   FEEDING  &C. 

PRECEPTOR. — We  will  now  proceed  to  the  stable,  and  see 
the  horses  take  their  evening  walk.  It  has  always  been  a 
pleasant  scene  for  me  to  observe  them  performing  this 
very  necessary  exercise.  How  gaily  the  young  things 
move  along !  Their  joints  and  tendons  are  as  pliant  as 
those  of  a  deer;  yet  a  few  years  of  usage  will  make  them 
lounge  in  their  movement  as  well  as  the  veterans. 

Have  one  of  the  boys  lead  out  Clipper,  to  pick  the  grass 
and  gnaw  the  ground,  which  will  assist  the  aperient  me- 
dicine we  are  giving.  It  would  have  been  well  during  the 
winter  to  have  applied  a  light  blister  to  fine  down  the 
extra  tissue  that  has  been  formed  so  long.  As  it  would 
be  too  great  an  inroad  on  the  time  now  allotted  to  bring 
him  in  condition,  we  will  have  to  adopt  a  plan  that  may 
answer,  but  not  with  the  certainty  of  a  vesicant.  To  the  al- 
terative medicine  we  will  add  daily  doses  of  iodine  in  small 
amounts,  say  five  grains,  which  will  act  as  a  glandular 
excitant,  and  aid  the  local  treatment,  consisting  of  poul- 
ticing with  hot  water,  and  applying  dry  bandages  over 
the  wet  sponges,  gradually  drawing  them  tighter  to  assist 
the  absorbent  vessels  in  taking  up  the  extraneous  morbid 
matter,  and  removing  it  from  the  system. 

Blistering,  a  remedial  agent  of  vast  power,  has  fallen 
into  disrepute  from  the  empiricism  of  those  who  have  ap- 
plied it,  right  or  wrong.  The  legs  of  this  horse  would 


136  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

have  been  very  much  benefited  by  the  application  of  an 
irritant,  as  nothing  would  be  so  likely  to  restore  the  skin 
to  its  proper  functions.  It  now  has  an  unnatural  close- 
ness and  tenseness,  arising  from  the  adhesion  of  parts 
underneath,  caused  by  a  deposit  in  the  interstices,  the 
effects  of  acute  inflammation  at  some  previous  period. 
The  emollient  tendency  of  the  hot  water  may  relieve  this, 
and  the  treatment  will  be  such  as  to  render  the  cure  of 
the  running  thrush  a  work  of  some  little  duration.  We 
would  defeat  the  end  we  have  in  view,  were  we  to  stop 
the  offensive  discharge  from  the  frog,  before  the  system  is 
relieved  from  the  taint  which  causes  the  disease. 

The  walk  your  horses  had  before  leaving  home  will 
shorten  the  time  required  now  in  fitting  them  to  enter 
the  second  stage  of  the  preparation.  In  my  remarks  on 
walking,  while  we  were  going  to  the  smith's  shop,  I  left 
much  unsaid  that  ought  to  be  fully  understood  at  this 
stage  of  the  training,  and  while  reprobating  the  practice 
predominant  many  years  ago,  of  walking  horses  too  much, 
think  it  very  essential  that  a  proper  time  should  elapse 
before  they  are  called  on  to  "jog."  We  will  find  a  great 
difference  in  the  amount  of  work  even  members  of  the 
same  family  are  able  to  stand ;  still,  there  will  be  less 
variation  in  the  time  allotted  for  walking  than  when  the 
gait  is  faster ;  that  is,  the  walking  given  in  this  prelimi- 
nary stage.  As  we  progress,  and  it  becomes  an  adjunct 
to  the  trotting,  we  may  find  a  great  dissimilarity  in  the 
members  of  your  stable.  Now,  we  will  walk  them  all, 
with  the  exception  of  Clipper  and  King,  two  hours  and  a 
half  in  the  morning,  and  one  and  a  half  in  the  evening. 
The  old  members  of  your  horse  family  we  assume  to  have 
acquired  the  step  necessary  for  fast  trotting.  The  essen- 
tials with  them,  then,  is  to  obtain  condition,  and  forget 
bad  habits.  We  shall  be  fortunate  if  we  have  them  in 
proper  order  for  a  race  in  three  months.  This,  therefore, 


DIEECTIOXS     FOE     WALKING.  137 

will  be  the  shortest  time  to  which  we  will  limit  ourselves. 
We  will  divide  the  preparation  into  three  stages — the  first 
occupied  with  easy  work;  the  second,  somewhat  faster, 
called  jogging;  and  the  third,  calling  at  stated  intervals 
for  as  high  a  rate  of  continued  speed  as  the  animal  is 
capable  of  showing.  In  these  three  divisions,  or  stages 
of  preparation,  we  will  have  to  vary  the  feed  as  well  as 
the  amount  of  work.  They  are  now  eating,  on  an  average, 
eight  quarts  of  oats  each,  with  as  much  hay  as  can  be 
eaten  heartily.  As  we  proceed,  we  will  not  only  have  to 
increase  the  amount  of  oats,  but  will  have  to  add  hominy 
or  corn,  which  my  experience  has  taught  me  as  being 
needful  to  keep  up  the  stamina  of  a  horse,  called  on  for 
severe  muscular  exertion.  The  first  stage  will  now  merit 
all  our  attention,  and  the  plan  we  will  adopt  will  be  the 
following :  At  five  o'clock,  we  will  expect  the  boys  to 
open  the  stable,  give  the  horses  a  few  swallows  of  water, 
and  their  first  feed,  two  quarts  of  oats.  When  eating  this, 
the  bed  to  be  shaken  up,  and  all  soiled  portions  and  drop- 
pings thrown  out.  After  this  is  done,  a  careful  light  dress- 
ing, when  the  clothes  are  replaced,  and  the  boys  go  to 
their  breakfast,  having  tied  the  horses'  heads  up,  so  that 
they  cannot  reach  the  litter.  The  breakfast  finished,  the 
string  will  go  to  the  walking  ground  at  seven » o'clock, 
where  they  will  walk  at  an  easy,  natural  pace  till  half- 
past  nine.  They  must  be  kept  some  little  distance  apart, 
and  when  one  stops  to  empty,  the  others  must  wait  till  he 
moves.  When  brought  to  the  stable,  a  light  brushing  and 
whisping  is  gone  through  with,  a  bucketful  of  watei 
given,  two  more  quarts  of  oats,  and  four  or  five  pounds 
of  hay.  The  litter  forming  the  bed  is  arranged,  the  stable 
locked  up,  and  they  are  left  undisturbed  till  three  o'clock, 
when  the  next  feeding  time  comes.  This  feed  consists  of 
three  pints  of  oats,  followed  by  a  little  water,  after  which 
they  walk  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  return  to  the  stable,  are 


138  HOUSE    POKTKAITUKE. 

thoroughly  cleaned,  dressed,  their  feet  picked  out,  the 
sole  and  horn  washed,  and  their  legs  lightly  hand-rubbed, 
followed  by  their  bed  being  properly  arranged.  At  seven 
o'clock  they  must  have  their  fall  supply  of  water,  the 
balance  of  their  daily  quantity  of  oats,  and  about  six 
pounds  of  hay ;  after  which  the  stable  must  be  closed,  not 
to  be  entered,  unless  some  accident  occurs,  until  the  fol- 
lowing morning. 

The  walk  is  commenced  in  the  small  yard  adjoining  the 
stable,  that  a  little  of  the  exhuberance  of  animal  spirits 
may  be  worn  away  before  going  into  the  field,  where  the 
increased  space  may  tempt  the  colts  into  a  frolic.  When 
this  walking  has  been  prolonged  to  a  suitable  length  of 
time  the  muscles  will  have  acquired  some  firmness,  the 
joints  set,  and  the  whole  economy  of  the  frame  in  a  po- 
sition to  undergo  the  second  stage  with  increased  advan- 
tage. The  training  of  race  horses,  while  it  necessitates 
more  care  to  bring  them  to  the  post  in  proper  condition, 
has  the  advantage  of  the  distance  being  regulated  to  what 
the  trainer  thinks  is  right.  With  trotters,  after  leaving 
the  slow  and  medium  work,  we  cannot  exactly  foretell 
what  the  distance  will  be.  The  brush  that  was  only  in- 
tended to  have  been  of  a  quarter  or  half  a  mile,  ha  3  been 
changed  by  the  horse  acting  badly,  so  that,  in  order  to 
give  a  lesson  in  breaking,  the  work  has  been  prolonged 
more  than  was  anticipated.  Hence  it  is  good  policy  to 
have  the  animal  doing  rather  below  the  mean,  so  that  the 
lengthened  exercise  his  temper  obligates  will  not  be  det- 
rimental. Your  rough-coated  favorite,  King,  not  being 
amenable  to  ordinary  laws,  will  not,  I  suppose,  deign  to 
walk  in  company  with  any  of  the  others.  I  hardly  know 
what  shall  be  done  with  him. 

PUPIL. — My  high  bred  protege  has  lately  given  an  ink- 
ling of  making  a  companion  of  Oriole,  in  the  absence  of 
his  mother,  and  I  think  I  can  teach  him  to  take  his  walk 


PEESISTAKCE     1  H     TEAIKIKG     COLTS.      139 

in  her  company.  I  will  first  put  the  long  rein  on  him, 
so  that  he  can  follow  in  the  rear,  till  the  novelty  of  the 
situation  is  gone,  when  I  imagine  he  will  not  trouble  us 
in  this  particular.  Your  former  remark,  that  patience 
is  everything  in  the  formation  of  trotters,  is  doubtless 
correct,  and  must  be  accepted  as  an  axiom  by  those  who 
would  be  successful  in  teaching  young  roadsters  how  to 
trot.  You  cannot  look  for  them  to  "keep  pace  with  our 
expectancy,  and  fly,"  unless  we  are  reasonable  enough  not 
to  look  for  the  acquirement  of  speed  till  they  have  a  fair 
chance  of  showing  it,  after  years  of  patient  teaching.  It 
requires  a  good  deal  of  enthusiasm  for  the  business  to 
make  trotters  of  colts,  and  no  one  will  be  highly  success- 
ful who  has  not  a  great  fondness  for  them.  They  are  very 
trying  to  the  temper  at  times,  and  it  is  of  the  first  im- 
portance that  we  should  school  ourselves  never  to  show 
the  ruffling.  Neither  must  we  be  discouraged  by  the  jeers 
of  others,  "that  we  are  throwing  our  time  away  in  at- 
tempting to  make  something  of  a  brute  that  never  will  go 
fast  enough  to  cany  the  mail."  "Once  upon  a  time,"  at  a 
quarter  race,  I  saw  two  men  strip  to  fight  out  some 
grudge  that  had  culminated  in  the  excitement  attend- 
ing on  the  running.  One  was  a  big,  brawny  six-footer, 
called  Barney  :  his  opponent,  a  much  smaller  man,  yclept 
Sam.  The  feelings  of  the  assemblage  ran  very  strongly 
in  favor  of  the  larger,  and  whenever  he  hit  a  telling  blow, 
he  was  cheered  on,  "Now  you  have  got  him,  Barney," 
"  Hurrah  for  Barney !  "  "  He's  nearly  licked,"  with  nume- 
rous phrases  calculated  to  keep  up  his  spirits.  But  Sam 
was  a  nervous,  wiry  fellow,  and  needed  a  good  deal  of 
"  punishment "  to  cook  his  gruel ;  and,  notwithstanding 
the  shouts  of  encouragement  to  Barney,  he  finally  came 
out  conqueror,  the  big  fellow  having  to  be  carried  to  a 
neighbor's  house,  where  he  did  not  get  out  of  bed  for 
several  daya.  On  congratulating  Sam  on  his  victory, 


140  HO  BSE    POKTBAITUKE. 

which  for  a  long  while  looked  so  hopeless,  he  told  me 
that  several  times  he  was  on  the  point  of  "hollering 
enough,"  and  if  the  crowd  had  been  equally  divided  in 
their  expression  of  sympathy,  he  would  have  done  so,  but 
he  was  not  going  to  gratify  them,  and  every  time  they 
shouted  to  Barney,  a  new  courage  would  revive,  his  failing 
strength  would  return,  and  he  would  determine  to  die 
rather  than  yield.  This  is  the  spirit  to  ensure  success  in 
the  handling  of  colts.  I  have  already  signified  my  ardor 
of  temperament  for  them,  provided  they  have  some  good 
blood  in  their  veins ;  the  only  thing  to  rely  on  when  it 
conies  to  the  struggle,  like  that  of  the  fight  at  the 
quarter  race.  The  often  quoted  stanzas  from  Shakespeare, 
"  Touchstone  "  says,  delighted  Jno.  Scott,  the  great  Eng- 
lish trainer,  so  much,  that  he  had  a  copy  framed,  glazed, 
and  hung  up  in  the  room  for  the  boys  to  commit  to 
memory,  and  declared,  that  with  such  a  horse  as  there 
described,  he  could  win  every  Derby  and  St.  Leger.  The 
picture  shows  that  at  that  early  day  the  thoroughbreds 
had  their  prototype  in  old  England  before  Arabs  or  Royal 
mares  were  introduced. 

"Round-hoofed,  short-jointed,  fetlocks  shag  and  long; 

Broad  breast,  full  eyes,  small  head,  and  nostril  wide ; 
High  crest,  short  ears,  straight  legs  and  passing  strong : 

Thin  mane,  thick  tail,  broad  buttocks,  tender  hide, — 
Look,  what  a  horse  should  have,  he  did  not  lack, 
Save  a  proud  rider  on  so  proud  a  back." 

Nearly  three  centuries  ago  this  was  written,  and  it  would 
be  remarkable  indeed  if  the  immortal  poet  had  drawn  on 
his  fancy  for  this  perfect  description  of  a  blood  horse,  or 
could  so  faithfully  have  described  one  without  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  his  points  and  capabilities.  It  is  claimed 
that  on  the  poet's  advent  in  London,  the  only  means  he 
had  of  gaining  a  livelihood  was  holding  horses  at  the  door 
of  the  theatre.  This  would  give  him  ample  opportunity 


"SPEED   GIVES   BOTTOM."  141 

to  study  "  the  well-proportioned  steed "  he  has  so  faith- 
fully "limned."  I  have  always  a  great  fancy  to  see  the 
horses  walking,  and  my  business  must  be  very  pressing  if 
I  do  not  watch  them  through  the  whole  course.  Look 
how  majestically  the  Falcon  leads  the  string,  and  is  con- 
tented nowhere  only  at  its  head !  "  Never  Mind  "  stumbles 
along  with  that  queer  gait,  placing  each  foot  exactly  in 
line,  and  playing  with  May  every  step  he  takes.  I  hardly 
ever  knew  a  horse  that  was  so  much  attached  to  his  com- 
panions. If  you  put  May  in  another  stall,  where  she  is  out 
of  his  sight,  he  will  mourn  until  she  is  returned,  refusing 
to  feed  and  drink  till  her  presence  gladdens  his  heart. 
He  is  one  of  the  horses  that  will  require,  in  my  opinion, 
very  little  walk  when  once  put  to  fast  work.  His  won- 
derful speed  will  enable  him  to  overcome  faulty  conform- 
ation, and  if  brought  to  the  post  in  the  bloom  of  con- 
dition, shall  look  for  him  to  live  the  race  through,  if  not 
more  than  two  mile  heats. 

PEEGEPTOR. — The  adage  that  "speed  gives  bottom"  is 
only  true  in  a  relative  sense.  The  possession  of  speed  is 
of  course  the  first  great  consideration  to  be  looked  for, 
and  it  gives  an  animal  possessing  it  in  a  degree  over  an 
antagonist  a  superiority  that  is  hard  to  counterbalance  by 
mere  endurance,  when  the  race  is  of  the  kind  now  most 
in  fashion, — mile  heats,  best  3  in  5.  Shakespeare's  de- 
scription would  have  suited  me  better  if  he  had  not  put 
in  the  short  ear  and  straight  leg ;  still,  it  is  remarkable 
that  he  should  have  given  so  true  a  description  at  a  time 
when  it  was  thought  there  were  so  few  first-class  speci- 
mens in  Great  Britain.  There  are  very  strong  arguments 
adduced  that  our  present  horses  are  more  indebted  for 
their  preeminence  to  the  Arabian  and  Barb  than  any  other 
crosses  ;  but  I  must  say  my  belief  is  to  the  contrary,  and 
that  the  native  breed  were  superior  to  the  animals  crossed 
on  them.  I  have  read  that  a  brother  to  the  reigning  King 

7 


142  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

of  France  tried,  over  two  hundred  years  ago,  to  get  a  bill 
through  the  parliament,  which  would  enable  him  to  ex- 
port mares,  but  it  failed  to  pass.  The  privilege  that 
would  not  be.  granted  shows  the  importance  English 
horses  had  at  a  time  prior  to  the  advent  of  either  the 
Parley  or  Godolphin  Arabians.  What  a  dissimilarity 
there  is  in  the  walk  of  the  race  horse  and  the  rest  of  the 
equine  family !  He  swings  along  with  a  low,  long  step, 
his  tail  vibrating  like  the  pendulum  of  a  clock,  hung  care- 
less and  loosely,  a  consciousness  of  power  in  all  his  move- 
ments. 

I  will  join  in  your  enthusiasm  for  the  royal  blood,  so 
far  as  to  admit  there  are  no  others  that  can  vie  with 
them  in  grace  or  beauty  of  form.  How  often  have  I  ad- 
mired their  symmetrical  proportions,  when  I  have  seen 
them  in  the  first  flush  of  youth  stripped  to  start  in  a  colt 
race !  That  is  a  part  of  the  running  usages  that  might  be 
well  to  adopt  with  the  young  trotters,  more  than  is  prac- 
ticed now.  I  mean  open  stakes  for  three,  four,  and  five- 
year-olds,  and  would  suggest  that  the  amount  should  be 
moderate,  say  two  hundred  dollars  entrance,  half  forfeit, 
with  fiffcy  dollars  declaration.  Entries  to  be  made  a  year 
before  the  race,  with  the  time  to  declare  forfeit  extended 
to  within  three  months.  This  would  stimulate  breeders 
to  increase  their  endeavors  to  raise  trotting  horses,  not 
only  giving  a  chance  to  win  a  stake  that  would  be  worth 
a  good  deal  of  money,  but  would  attract  purchasers  look- 
ing for  fast  stepping  colts  ;  and  any  that  made  a  good 
show  would  find  a  ready  market.  People  are  very  much 
afraid  of  trotting  three  or  four  year-colts,  and  a  great 
deal  has  been  written  and  said  about  the  danger  of  in- 
juring them  at  that  early  period  of  their  lives,  by  the 
training  requisite  to  make  them  trot  fast  enough  to  be  of 
any  service.  I  cannot  see  that  the  risk  of  injury  is  so 
very  imminent,  if  they  are  handled  with  proper  judgment, 


COLTS     IN     THE     FIELD.  143 

and  not  made  to  exert  themselves  to  the  point  of  extreme 
exhaustion.  One  great  error  is  that  a  hard  track  is  con- 
sidered essential  to  train  a  trotter  on.  An  inch  or  so  of 
loose  dirt  would  lessen  the  concussion  ;  and  though  the 
drag  of  the  wheels  would  require  a  little  more  force  to 
overcome  the  friction,  the  advantage  resulting  to  the 
limbs  would  far  more  than  counterbalance  this  slight  evil. 
PUPIL. — There  is  where  my  favorites  would  show  their 
superiority ;  and  admitting  that  they  do  not  acquire  the 
trotting  step  as  readily  as  some  others,  their  stamina 
would  warrant  them  in  being  worked  harder,  without  en- 
dangering their  future  welfare.  Any  one  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  watch  colts,  when  running  in  a  field,  will 
coincide  with  me  in  the  belief  that  they  take  more  exer- 
cise of  their  own  accord,  than  would  be  sufficient  to  learn 
to  trot  and  endure  the  fatigues  of  a  3  in  5  race.  I  have 
spoken  before  of  the  enjoyment  there  is  in  watching  a 
lot  of  colts  playing  in  a  field,  their  manoeuvres  being  so 
varied  that  I  never  tire  of  observing  them.  At  first  they 
will  trot  off  in  divisions,  throwing  their  heads  up,  their 
tails  curving  over  their  backs.  What  a  grand  quadrille 
they  are  performing, — now  advancing  among  each  other, 
wheeling  in  circles,  and  mixing  together  in  seemingly  in- 
extricable confusion,  yet  in  harmony  with  the  stately  step 
and  flashing  eye!  This  is  only  the  prelude.  Soon  the 
lofty  trot  gives  place  to  the  simultaneous  charge,  and 
away  they  go  to  the  extreme  range  of  the  inclosure,  only 
to  rush  back  with  accelerated  speed.  There  is  no  need 
of  whip  and  spur  to  stimulate  them  to  their  utmost  effort : 
every  one  except  the  veriest  dunghill  is  emulous  to  excel ; 
and  the  most  exhilarating  "trials  of  speed"  I  ever  wit- 
nessed have  been  on  the  vernal  sod  of  a  large  pasture 
field.  It  needs  no  one  to  pick  out  for  you  the  blood  in 
these  assemblages.  A  few  courses,  and  some  will  cry 


144:  HOUSE    POKTRAITUKE. 

enough,  when  long  afterwards  those  of  pure  lineage  are 
gamboling  with  undiminished  spirit. 

I  shall  impatiently  wait  for  the  time  to  come  when  we 
shall  sit  under  the  umbra  of  the  oaks,  on  the  knoll  where 
the  old  stone  house  is  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the 
quondam  hunting-grounds  of  the  Sioux  and  Chippewa. 
The  placid  river  looks  like  an  inland  sea,  the  mountain 
snows  in  the  far-off  north  swelling  its  waters  till  it  is  miles 
across.  The  brilliant  foliage  of  the  islands  floats  on  its  sur- 
face and  is  reflected  from  the  flood.  The  waters  extend 
to  the  very  foot  of  the  hills,  that  looked  so  hazy  and  in- 
distinct in  the  orange  light  of  the  Indian  Summer.  Now 
they  appear  as  if  drawn  closer,  and  you  can  see  the  white 
farm-houses  that  nestle  on  their  sides.  The  yellow  lime- 
stone bluffs  frown  like  giant  fortresses,  massive  and  gloomy, 
on  the  eastern  shore ;  those  on  the  west  glowing  in  the 
morning  sunlight.  The  blue-grass  carpet  is  fringed  with 
the  flowering  crab-apple,  the  calm  air  laden  with  their 
sweet  fragrance.  The  brown  thrush  and  robin  are  singing 
a  duet,  and  the  prairie  chickens  are  cooing  their  songs  of 
love.  The  colts  turned  out  from  the  stable  are  wandering 
listlessly  about,  inhaling  the  perfumed  atmosphere,  till 
one  gives  the  signal,  and  away  they  go.  What  energy 
and  grace  of  movement!  Their  lissome  limbs  seem  en- 
dowed with  a  spirit  that  compels  them  to  rush  along,  ri- 
valing the  roar  of  the  avalanche,  as  they  drum  music  out 
of  the  springy  turf.  The  play  of  the  muscles  is  dictinctly 
seen  under  the  pliant  skin  and  silky  hair,  which  takes 
different  shades  like  the  changing  hues  of  the  pigeon's 
neck.  No  matter  how  long  they  keep  up  this  exciting 
pastime,  you  will  feel  disappointed  when  they  cease,  and 
hope  that  after  a  short  respite  they  will  again  go  on  with 
the  play.  When  you  see  this  repeated  day  after  day 
through  the  whole  summer,  you  will  agree  with  me  that 
the  work  well  kept  colts  take  for  their  own  enjoyment  is 


COLT-EACES.  145 

more  than  that  which  would  be  necessary  to  teach  them 
to  trot,  and  be  in  condition  sufficient  to  live  through  a 
race  without  injury.  One  great  object  to  attain  in  train- 
ing is  to  have  the  colts  engage  in  their  exercises  with  the 
same  spirit  and  glee  that  they  join  in  play;  and  by  watch- 
ing them  closely  we  will  be  able  to  keep  up  that  feeling 
in  a  measure.  If  the  task  is  not  too  arduous,  they  will 
learn  to  like  it,  and  bowl  along  the  track  or  road  with  a 
zest  that  will  nearly  equal  the  pastoral  gambols.  There 
has  arisen  a  feeling  that  a  race  to  be  worth  seeing  must 
be  fast.  Associations  and  proprietors,  of  course,  have  re- 
cognized this  by  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  have 
the  fastest  horses  in  the  country  grace  their  tracks,  no 
matter  if  one  was  so  much  faster  than  all  the  rest  that 
there  was  no  show  of  a  contest.  This  has  led  those 
having  the  management  of  courses  to  throw  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  colt  races,  which  would  lack  the  speed  con- 
sidered so  essential.  The  interest  to  me  in  a  race  lies  in 
the  closeness  of  the  contest.  I  would  hardly  walk  a  mile 
to  see  a  horse  that  could  go  a  mile  in  2:15  if  pitted 
against  one  that  took  five  or  ten  seconds  longer,  not 
quarter  that  distance,  if  I  had  seen  the  actors  performing 
before.  To  see  half  a  dozen  or  more  colts  engage  in  a 
trial  which  was  to  determine  a  bona  fide  stake,  and  settle 
which  is  the  best,  would  take  me  a  long  way,  and  be  of 
far  more  interest  than  those  hackneyed  races  now  so 
much  in  vogue. 

PRECEPTOR. — This  starring  system  which  has  been  so 
fashionable  for  a  term  of  years,  has,  without  doubt,  been 
a  source  of  great  injury  to  the  trotting  turf,  not  alone  by 
making  fast  time  the  only  attraction  to  draw  people  to 
the  course,  but  inaugurating  the  hippodroming  evil  that 
has  done  far  more  injury.  The  large  purses  advertised 
meant  only  a  division  of  the  gate  money ;  and  people  that 
had  been  induced  to  visit  the  arena,  expecting  to  see  a 


146  HOESE    POKTRAITURE. 

true  struggle  for  the  thousands  of  dollars  said  to  be  at 
stake,  went  away  dissatisfied  when  the  transparency  of 
the  humbug  was  made  apparent. 

PUPIL. — The  copartnership  existing  between  the  ancient 
patrons  of  the  Olympic  games  has  been  dissolved,  so  far 
as  the  stars,  or  rather  those  managing  them,  are  con- 
cerned. The  God  of  Strength  has  been  discarded,  and 
they  have  enrolled  themselves  as  the  disciples  of  Mercury, 
without  deigning  to  copy  the  adroitness  which  gave  his 
stealings  the  charm  of  being  so  skilfully  done  that  the 
victim's  admiration  nearly  compensated  for  his  loss.  We 
are  told  by  those  conversant  with  the  habits  of  one  of  the 
western  tribes  of  Indians — the  Blackfeet — that  stealing 
is  a  weighty  part  of  the  education  of  the  young.  The 
junior  dusky  warrior  is  unmercifully  punished  if  detected, 
and  as  highly  applauded  if  undiscovered.  This  is  akin  to 
the  story  of  the  Spartan  youth,  who  denied,  with  un- 
changed countenance,  the  theft  of  a  fox.  The  savage  ani- 
mal, covered  by  his  mantle,  gnawed  flesh  and  bones  till 
lie  reached  the  vitals.  The  stoicism  shown  by  enduring 
this  terrible  torture  rather  than  be  convicted,  is  certainly 
to  be  admired.  The  corresponding  thief,  who  makes  the 
noble  horse  the  vehicle  of  getting  his  hand  into  other 
men's  pockets,  is  not  the  possessor  of  this  redeeming  qua- 
lity of  manliness.  However,  my  acquaintance  with  the 
class  has  been  .limited,  and  they  may  possess  attributes 
which  I  have  never  seen,  though  it  will  take  conclusive 
proofs  to  have  me  believe  there  is  any  good  in  them.  It  is 
a  pity  the  Indian  and  Spartan  method  had  not  been 
employed  in  finishing  their  education ;  and  while  they 
learned  to  be  adepts  sufficient  to  conceal  their  depre- 
dations, it  would  have  saved  the  obloquy  from  resting  on 
the  whole  fraternity  by  the  evil-doings  of  a  few. 

PKECEPTOE. — It  is  a  matter  to  be  forever  regretted  that 
there  should  have  been  those  who  were  willing  to  degrade 


REPUTATION     OF     KACE-COUESES.          147 

themselves  by  the  practices  you  mention.  My  experience 
has  led  me  to  believe  that  there  are  very  few  who  have 
erred,  yet  there  have  been  enough  of  them  detected  in 
their  villainies,  to  throw  blame  on  all  connected  with  this 
chief  of  sports. 

The  matter,  however,  is  working  its  own  cure,  and  will 
forever  be  banished  from  all  respectable  courses,  and 
those  with  a  dirty  record  will  be  watched  so  closely,  that 
certain  ostracism  will  follow  a  relapse  into  former  bad 
habits. 


CHAPTEE    XI. 

EFFECT    OF   WEATHEB    ON    CONDITION — GOVERNMENT    AID    IN    EN- 
COURAGING BREED  OF  HORSES — GENERAL  GRANT — STABLE  TRICKa. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  morning  is  again  beautiful.  How 
much  we  ought  to  prize  the  fine  weather  that  is  meted  to 
us  by  the  goodness  of  the  Great  Father !  We  repine  if  a 
shower  or  mist  interferes  in  the  slightest  manner  with 
our  business  or  pleasure,  and  give  no  thanks  when  the 
skies  are  as  propitious  as  now. 

Favorable  weather  is  of  great  importance  in  getting  our 
horses  in  condition,  and  rain  and  sudden  changes  often 
render  nugatory  the  care  we  have  bestowed  upon  them,  and 
upset  all  our  calculations.  My  plan  is  to  work,  no  matter 
what  the  weather  is.  Of  course,  the  amount  of  labor  will 
not  be  the  same  ;  but  it  would  be  a  tempest  indeed  that 
kept  my  horses  in  the  stable  twenty-four  hours  at  a  time. 

Condition  is  much  sooner  lost  than  acquired  ;  and  as 
condition  cannot  be  reached  without  continued  work,  it 
must  be  lost  when  we  cease  our  exertions.  It  is  not  pleas- 
ant for  either  driver  or  horse  to  work  on  a  muddy  road  or 
track,  and  the  groom's  duties  are  more  onerous  then  when 
everything  is  dry  and  pleasant.  The  mud  can  be  kept 
off  in  a  great  measure  by  using  a  cotton  cloth,  similar  to  a 
belly-wrapper,  with  strings  to  tie  over  the  back.  The  tail 
is  tied  up  and  enveloped  in  a  bandage,  when  the  legs  will 
be  about  all  that  is  exposed.  There  are  some  cases  when 
muddy  roads  are  beneficial  by  saturating  the  feet  with 
moisture,  although  horses  with  good  feet,  and  shod  in  the 


GOVERNMENT     PREMIUMS.  149 

manner  I  have  directed,  will  never  need  this  pluvial  min- 
istration. It  is  agreed  upon  by  both  advocates  and  op- 
ponents of  the  Arabian  horse,  that  his  feet  are  always  good, 
the  dry  climate  and  the  scorching  sands  showing  that 
water  is  not  essential  to  his  well-doing.  The  knife  and 
rasp  do  the  mischief,  which  no  soaking  can  repair. 

PUPIL. — This  weather  is  truly  enjoyable,  and  I  will  try 
and  keep  it  in  remembrance  when  inclined  to  repine  at 
that  which  is  less  favorable.  I  was  reading  an  article  last 
night,  that  has  filled  me  with  "vast  ideas"  which  I  am 
anxious  to  disclose  to  you  for  criticism  or  commendation. 
It  was  an  editorial  from  the  Spirit,  advocating  the  appro- 
priation by  the  General  Government  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  a  year,  to  be  applied  in  purses  for  races, 
and  distributed  equally  among  the  States.  It  struck  me 
that  if  the  measure  was  carried  out,  the  benefit  to  the 
whole  country  would  be  immense,  and  the  outlay  would 
return  to  the  treasury  a  hundred  fold  increased,  through 
channels  opened  by  this  appropriation.  The  plan  pro- 
posed was  to  give  the  amount  into  the  hands  of  the 
respective  governors,  who  should  select  a  central  place 
where  it  could  be  run  for  under  such  conditions  as  Con- 
gress might  impose.  What  an  impetus  it  would  give  to 
breeding  a  better  class  of  horses  in  States,  now  wofully 
deficient  in  those  adapted  for  either  pleasure  or  service ! 
There  is  no  country  in  the  world,  of  the  same  extent,  so 
well  calculated  for  breeding  good  horses  as  the  whole  of 
the  United  States.  The  extremes,  both  North  and  South, 
require  that  more  care  be  taken  than  in  that  portion  fa- 
vored by  a  more  equal  temperature  j  the  South  not  being 
so  favorable  for  the  culture  of  the  grasses  and  small  ce- 
reals, and  the  North  requiring  a  greater  outlay  for  warm 
stables,  and  a  larger  supply  of  fodder  and  grain.  But 
neither  is  a  bar  to  profitable  breeding  and  rearing ;  and 
the  stimulus  given  by  this  contemplated  movement  would 

7* 


150  HOESEPOETRAITUEE. 

quicken  farmers  to  prepare  themselves  with  all  the  re- 
quirements necessary  for  the  propagation.  My  idea  would 
be  to  confine  the  government  purses  to  horses  owned  in 
the  States  where  the  trial  was  to  be,  and,  after  a  proper 
lapse  of  time,  to  those  bred  there.  The  reason  why  I 
would  confine  it  to  horses  owned  in  individual  States  is, 
that  the  object  to  be  gained  is  the  improvement  of  stock 
over  the  whole  country,  and  not  in  one  particular  section 
where  breeding  has  been  established,  without  other  aid 
than  the  fondness  of  the  inhabitants  for  turf  sports, 
coupled  with  a  climate  and  soil  favorably  endowed  by 
nature  for  breeding  the  best  horses  with  the  least  outlay 
and  care.  With  this  assistance  from  government,  there  is 
not  a  North-western  State  which  would  not  soon  be  filled 
with  the  blood  from  those  localities  where  the  race  horse 
is  now  prevalent.  The  demand  would  enhance  the  value, 
and  create  a  market  that  would  remunerate  the  breeders 
far  better  than  if  they  were  allowed  to  make  a  circuit  with 
their  best  animals,  and  sweep  the  board  of  every  purse 
offered.  You  will  pardon  me  for  again  introducing  Iowa; 
I  only  do  so  from  being  more  familiar  with  her  people 
and  resources  than  those  of  any  other  State.  I  removed 
there  when  a  mere  boy,  soon  after  she  had  been  admitted 
into  the  sisterhood  of  States,  before  the  clatter  of  a  loco- 
motive had  been  heard  within  hundreds  of  miles,  when 
her  population  was  mainly  confined  to  the  river  counties, 
and  the  only  market  was  down  the  Mississippi.  We  can 
point  with  pride  to  the  position  she  now  occupies,  and 
may  be  pardoned  if  we  provoke  a  smile  at  the  magnitude 
of  our  anticipations  for  her  future.  The  few  thousand 
dollars  Iowa  would  receive  as  her  proportion  of  the  race 
fuixd  would  work  wonders  in  the  introduction  of  blood 
stock. 

There  are  several  gentlemen  of  my  acquaintance  who 
would  delight  in  owning  and  training  race  horses,  if  there 


STATE     RIVALRY     AX     ADVANTAGE.      151 

were  an  opportunity  of  running  them  for  adequate  purses 
within  the  limits  of  the  State.  Should  the  contests  be 
confined  to  those  horses  actually  owned  there,  and  after 
a  suitable  lapse  of  time  to  those  bred  there,  thoroughbred 
stallions  would  be  located  in  nearly  every  county.  These 
State  contests,  determining  which  was  the  best,  would  en- 
hance the  interest  in  the  general  race  meetings  by  bring- 
ing together  the  State  victors,  and  afterwards  the  con- 
queror of  the  West  would  meet  the  Eastern  champion  at 
Saratoga,  Paterson,  or  Westchester,  the  winner  making 
good  his  title  to  the  premiership. 

The  small  amount  donated  by  Congress  would  set  the 
ball  in  motion,  not  so  much  from  the  money  value,  as  the 
effect  it  would  have  to  popularize  the  sport.  Should  the 
Governor  of  Iowa  say  to  the  various  smart  little  cities 
within  her  boundaries,  "I  have  such  a  sum  put  in  my 
hands  for  the  encouragement  of  breeding  a  better  class  of 
horses  than  now  exist  in  our  State.  It  is  conceded  by 
those  conversant  with  the  matter,  that  the  best  way  to 
appropriate  this  sum  to  effect  the  object  in  view,  is  to 
give  it  in  prizes  for  horses  running  long  distances. 
Which  city  will  build  the  best  course,  put  up  the  neces- 
sary buildings,  and  add  an  amount  sufficient  to  ensure  a 
variety  of  races  suitable  for  all  classes,  on  a  guarantee  of 
having  it  located  for  ten  years  at  that  place?"  There 
would  be  so  many  liberal  offers  that  the  difficulty  would 
be  to  discriminate  between  them,  and  select  the  most  fa- 
vorable; for  to  my  knowledge  there  are  half  a  dozen  places 
that  would  give  all  needed,  to  have  two  good  meetings  a 
year.  Confining  the  races  for  the  government  money  to 
horses  owned  in  the  State,  would  ensure  the  colts  being 
kept  for  breeding  purposes;  and  the  rivalry  between  those 
determined  to  own  the  best,  would  lead  them  to  select  for 
purchase  animals  that  are  ranked  high  in  places  where 
tiio  thoroughbred  has  been  reared  for  long  periods.  It 


152  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

would  not  be  long  ere  the  good  effects  would  be  visible  ; 
not  only  in  improving  horses  for  cavalry  service,  but  road, 
trotting  and  carriage  horses  would  be  more  plentiful  and 
of  a  great  deal  better  quality.  I  have  thought  so  much 
of  the  scheme  since  reading  the  article  alluded  to,  that 
I  am  full  of  the  subject;  and  to  follow  it  in  all  its  bearings 
for  the  good  of  the  horse  stock  would  be  a  trial  to  youi 
patience  more  formidable  than  I  am  inclined  to  punish 
you  with.  However,  it  is  so  intimately  blended  with  the 
breeding  of  trotters  that  I  hope  every  effort  will  be  made 
to  have  such  a  project  become  a  law.  There  are  enough 
influential  men  in  every  State  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
the  horse,  who,  if  united  in  their  endeavors  to  press  the 
matter  on  the  members  of  Congress  from  their  respective 
districts,  could  render  its  success  sure.  I  feel  confident 
General  Grant  would  recommend  it,  even  if  ten  times  the 
amount  were  asked  for,  for  the  benefit  that  would  follow 
to  the  improvement  of  the  cavalry  alone.  During  the  .last 
Illinois  State  Fair,  the  General,  attended  by  a  brilliant 
company  of  general  officers,  was  present.  Though  he 
paid  great  attention  to  the  various  departments,  it  was 
soon  evident  which  was  of  the  most  interest  to  him.  An 
old  man,  whose  appearance  was  striking  from  the  pecu- 
liarity in  his  manner  and  apparel,  came  in  upon  the  judge's 
stand  where  the  General  was  seated,  and  asked  his  per- 
mission to  name  a  favorite  colt,  then  on  the  ground, 
after  him.  The  request  was  courteously  acceded  to  by 
the  hero,  with  the  promise  of  visiting  his  namesake  before 
he  left  the  ground.  The  old  gentleman  withdrew  to  pre- 
pare the  colt  for  the  distinguished  company,  and  on  the 
approach  of  Grant,  led  him  to  the  front  of  the  stall.  Well 
did  he  merit  the  encomiums  bestowed  on  him  by  his 
breeder. 

The  whole  group  was  striking,  and  as  I  looked  at  the 
few  comprising  it,  X  would  have  given  a  pretty  good  trotter 


GEN.    GBANT     AND     THE     COLT.  153 

fco  have  had  a  faithful  picture  of  the  scene.  The  old  man 
was  apparently  verging  on  that  period  of  life  allotted  by 
the  psalmist  as  its  close,  but  possessing  all  the  vigor  of 
manhood.  His  form  was  tall,  spare,  and  sinewy,  the  right 
arm  gone,  yet  with  the  left  he  controlled  the  bounding 
motions  of  the  vigorous  colt  easily,  the  grace  of  whose 
movements  was  rather  heightened,  than  otherwise,  by 
the  constraint.  His  hair  was  white,  hanging  in  long  locks 
down  his  back.  His  clothing  was  home-made,  a  kind  of 
blue  jean,  that  set  off  the  tendinous  frame  to  far  better 
advantage  than  the  smoother  broadcloth  would  have 
done.  The  fire  in  the  grey  eye  was  as  brilliant  as  ever 
flashed  from  beneath  the  silky  veil  of  the  most  radiant 
belle.  The  animal  was  of  course  thoroughbred,  a  deep 
chestnut,  with  lithe  limbs  and  glossy  coat,  his  form  pos- 
sessing the  symmetry  due  his  breeding.  The  General's 
square,  massive  face  expressed  pleasure  more  than  I 
had  ever  seen  it  while  receiving  the  ovations  of  the  most 
demonstrative  crowd.  General  Logan,  with  one  or  two 
officers  of  the  Agricultural  Society  and  Driving  Park  As- 
sociation, were  the  only  persons  present.  The  coifs 
bridle  was  decorated  with  knots  of  blue  ribbons,  betoken- 
ing the  first  premiums  he  had  received.  The  old  man, 
after  allowing  a  few  minutes  to  elapse  for  the  General  to 
scan  his  beautiful  proportions  and  lightness  of  movement, 
said,  "There  is  your  namesake,  General.  I  have  bred 
many  a  good  colt,  but  this  is  the  most  likely  one  I  ever 
raised.  He  has  taken  twelve  blue  ribbons,  and  nary  red 
one." 

The  General  very  handsomely  signified  his  admiration, 
and  the  old  man  replaced  in  the  stall  the  colt  whose  elas- 
tic step  was  not  a  whit  more  bouyant  than  that  of  the  man 
who  had  owned  his  progenitors  for  many  a  generation. 
I  am  quite  a  hero-worshipper,  yet  I  thought  more  of  Ge- 
neral Grant  for  the  unassuming  way  with  which  he  granted 


154:  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

that  old  man's  request,  as  if  he  were  the  party  honored, 
than  for  all  the  battles  he  ever  gained. 

PEECEPTOE. — That  was  a  beautiful  trait  in  the  charactei 
of  the  successful  military  chieftain  whom  a  whole  people 
are  anxious  to  honor, — escaping  from  the  plaudits  of  a 
crowd  to  gratify  one  humble  individual  by  the  admiration 
of  his  colt. 

The  plan  you  speak  of,  if  forced  upon  the  attention  of 
Congress,  would  do  even  more  for  the  improvement  of 
horses  than  the  most  sanguine  supporters  claim.  Poli- 
ticians, however,  will  not  see  the  benefit,  as  there  is 
nothing  to  be  gained  by  them  from  the  appropriation. 
Incorporate  with  this  bill  a  whole  army  of  useless  offices, 
with  rich  salaries,  and  it  will  go  through  the  House  like 
a  "prairie  on  fire/'  as  that  would  make  places  to  reward 
adherents  and  relatives  for  their  aid  in  elections.  Farm- 
ers are  the  most  indolent  men  in  the  world  in  looking 
after  their  interests  not  immediately  connected  with  their 
bit  of  land.  They  never  will  learn  the  lesson  taught  by 
the  faggots  resisting  all  efforts  to  break  them  when 
united,  but  which  is  so  easily  accomplished  when  un- 
bound. Broach  this  subject  to  them,  and  nine  out  of  ten 
will  admit  its  merits — not  one  in  a  hundred  second  it 
with  an  effort,  or  sign  a  petition,  if  you  have  not  pen 
ready  to  place  in  their  fingers.  Once  make  it  popular, 
and  the  Hon.  M.  C.'s  will  vote  for  it,  even  if  lacking  the 
essentials  I  have  before  remarked.  How  are  you  going 
to  do  this  ?  Not  through  the  political  press ;  their  col- 
umns are  filled  with  stuff  disgusting  to  a  man  not  biased 
by  party  drill.  The  agricultural  press,  in  their  advocacy 
of  fat  bullocks,  swine,  and  sheep,  ignore  the  horse  that 
has  speed  enough  to  carry  one  comfortably  to  mill  or 
market,  from  a  feeling  of  jealousy  at  the  prominent  place 
occupied  by  horses  and  "jockeys"  at  the  fairs,  these  very 
horses,  enabling  managers  to  pay  premiums  to  cattle 


UNITED   ACTIOX   OF   IIORSE-BilEEDEKS.   155 

which  were  it  not  for  the  interest  taken  by  the  multitude 
on  the  very  animals  thus  decried  by  the  cattle-breeders, 
they  could  never  do.  Our  Government,  at  an  outlay 
of  several  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  annually, 
publishes  a  work,  called  the  "Report  of  the  Commissioner 
of  Agriculture."  One  year  it  was  of  vast  importance  to 
the  horse-breeding  interest,  the  result  of  an  article 
written  by  one  familiar  with  the  subject.  The  last  issue 
has  an  account  of  a  mongrel,  only  amounting  to  an  ad- 
vertisement for  one  individual  horse;  and  the  volume 
preceding  the  one  containing  Mr.  — 's  first-rate  article, 
contained  one  written  by  a  prominent  agricultural  writer, 
yet  so  devoid  of  truth  that  the  merest  tyro  in  horse 
breeding  would  not  have  been  misled  by  it.  How  then 
will  you  effect  the  popularity  requisite  to  carry  the  bill 
you  propose  through  Congress  and  on  its  intrinsic  merits 
without  adventitious  aid? 

PUPIL. — By  each  man  that  subscribes  for  a  turf  paper 
constituting  himself  an  agent  and  canvasser  to  increase 
its  circulation,  till  the  masses  become  acquainted  with  the 
efforts  that  are  making  for  the  benefit  of  the  country  at 
large  through  the  improvement  of  the  stock  ;  by  calling 
the  attention  of  people  to  the  course  pursued  by  other 
countries  in  encouraging  by  governmental  aid  the  pro- 
duction of  the  true  type  of  animals  from  which  to  breed; 
by  invoking  influential  men  in  every  State  to  enforce 
their  views  through  channels  open  to  them, — subscribing 
to  truths  with  which  they  are  familiar,  and  which  would 
need  no  further  guarantee  than  their  proper  signature. 
I  could  name  hosts  of  the  very  foremost  men  all  over  the 
country  interested  in  this  project,  whose  concerted  sup- 
port would  insure  its  success.  I  read  a  notice  in  a  paper 
that  has  a  bearing  on  this,  and  reminded  me  of  our  former 
conversation  regarding  the  English  women,  horses,  and 
trees.  I  transcribed  it,  as  every  country  there  mentioned 


156  HOKSE     POETEAITUKE. 

lends  its  influence  through  money  appropriations  to  the 
advancement  of  the  breed  of  horses.  It  is  copied  from 
"The  English  at  Home." 

"  England  produces  three  objects  which  are  met  with 
everywhere,  but  which  in  this  island  are  remarkable  for 
their  marvelous  beauty — the  women,  the  trees,  and  the 
horses.  Moreover,  every  place  which  raises  a  race  of 
horses  worthy  of  admiration  is  also  peopled  by  pretty 
women.  What  is  the  cause  of  the  coincidence  is  not  easy 
to  say;  but  this  strange  correlation  is  not  the  less  real. 
Georgia  rears  the  best  horses  of  the  East.  The  plains  of 
La  Camerque  in  the  neighborhood  of  Aries,  famous  for 
its  lovely  girls,  preserves  the  blood  of  the  Moorish  coursers 
in  a  state  of  nature.  The  Anclalusian  maid  attains  her 
perfection  of  form  by  the  side  of  the  most  symmetrical 
steeds  of  the  Peninsula.  At  Mecklenburg  you  behold  the 
purest  blood  of  Germany;  and  when  a  phalanx  of  Amazons 
gallops  along  the  avenues  of  the  London  parks,  the  daz- 
zled eye  cannot  fix  itself  with  indifference  either  on  the 
ecuyere  or  the  animal  on  which  she  is  mounted.  Let  it 
young  girl  draw  up  her  horse  under  a  lofty  tree,  and  you 
will  contemplate,  grouped  in  a  single  picture,  the  three 
marvels  of  England." 

The  comparison  will  hold  good  in  our  own  country,  as 
will  be  readily  admitted  by  those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  beauty  of  the  females  in  those  regions  most  remark- 
able for  fine  horses.  I  will  not  try  any  more  than  the 
author  above  quoted  to  account  for  the  parallel.  It  is 
very  true  that  the  beauty  of  the  thoroughbred  is  nearly 
akin  to  the  highest  type  of  female  loveliness.  The  flowing- 
lines  made  up  of  curves  identical  with  Hogarth's  line  of 
grace  and  beauty;  the  highbred  look,  the  lustrous  eye,  the 
silken,  glossy  hair,  the  grace  of  movement,  the  pliability 
of  limb,  and  the  rounded  form  free  from  all  grossness. 
Hang  up  a  picture  of  the  Venus  de  Medici,  by  the  side 


1MPOKTA.NCE  OF  QUALITY  IN  HOUSES.  157 

of  that  of  Beeswing,  and  you  will  find  more  than  one  point 
of  resemblance. 

PKECEPTOR. — Without  seeing  the  resemblance,  I  will  cor- 
dially admit  that  they  are  both  very  much  to  be  admired, 
and  after  a  handsome  woman,  a  handsome  horse  has  the 
next  place  in  my  favor.  But  all  this  will  not  help  the 
passage  of  the  bill  through  Congress.  With  the  co-ope- 
ration of  the  influential  horse  admirers,  both  East  and 
West,  the  thing  would  be  easier  of  solution.  This  cer- 
tainly looks  like  the  most  feasible  way.  I  know  of  hun- 
dreds who  would  do  everything  in  their  power  to  assist 
in  getting  such  a  law  enacted.  Horse  races  having  be- 
come the  fashion  at  Saratoga,  would  materially  advance 
the  cause.  Yet  it  wants  to  be  looked  at  in  a  higher  light 
than  merely  the  means  of  aiding  a  listless  crowd  to  dawdle 
away  their  time.  The  very  existence  of  a  country  may 
depend  on  the  quality  of  the  horses  ;  and  if  those  used 
in  the  late  war  had  been  of  a  higher  grade,  the  cavalry 
would  not  only  have  been  more  effective,  but  the  cost  to 
our  government  would  have  been  much  less.  In  time 
of  peace  the  merits  of  the  horse,  if  not  so  apparent  are 
equally  of  the  same  importance  ;  the  horse,  more  than 
any  other  animal,  belonging  to  the  highest  civilization, 
and  aiding  more  than  all  others  the  development  of  a 
country. 

This  talk  has  rather  led  us  away  from  the  animals  im- 
mediately under  our  charge.  As  their  treatment  will  need 
but  little  variation  for  a  week  or  two,  till  they  commence 
jogging,  the  only  thing  required  is  to  see  that  they  are 
regularly  fed,  groomed,  and  walked,  watching  things  that 
may  appear  trivial,  but  which  often  grow  in  magnitude 
till  they  are  difficult  to  eradicate.  Idle  horses,  or  those 
not  working  very  hard,  are  apt  to  acquire  habits  that  are 
very  annoying — as  crib  biting,  weaving,  pawing,  disliking 
to  go  through  a  doorway,  kicking  the  sides  of  the  stall,  &c. 


158  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

The  first  is  considered  by  many  an  unsoundness,  as  well 
as  a  disagreeable  habit,  and  they  would  reject  a  horse,  no 
matter  how  good,  or  ever  so  well  suited  to  the  business 
they  wanted  him  to  perform,  if  he  possessed  this  trick. 
I  do  not  look  at  it  in  this  light,  and  apart  from  the  an- 
noyance of  listening  to  the  sound  usually  made  by  those 
addicted,  am  not  aware  that  it  injures  the  animal.  The 
idea  that  they  "  suck  wind "  enough  to  make  them  any 
more  liable  to  colic  or  rupture  of  the  intestines,  is  cer- 
tainly false  in  all  that  have  come  under  my  observation. 
One  of  the  finest  "  Gentleman's  Horses  "  I  ever  knew  was 
a  confirmed  crib  biter.  He  was  a  large,  brown  gelding, 
nearly  sixteen  hands  high,  stylish  and  showy,  had  trotted 
in  2:28,  could  pull  a  wagon  almost  that  fast,  gentle  and 
reliable  in  every  place.  If  there  was  anything  he  could 
lay  his  teeth  on  he  was  sure  to  crib,  yet  always  kept 
easy ;  would  stand  an  immense  amount  of  work,  and  trot 
long  distances,  but  was  never,  to  my  knowledge,  sick  a 
day  in  his  life.  The  last  I  knew  of  him,  he  was  owned  by  a 
gentleman  in  Cincinnati,  who  valued  him  very  highly  for 
his  many  good  qualities.  When  horses  have  once  ac- 
quired this  habit,  I  doubt  if  they  ever  forget  it.  By 
having  a  box  or  stall  sealed  up  perfectly  smooth,  they 
cannot  get  hold  of  anything,  and  few  horses  wilt  crib  if 
thus  kept,  though  some  press  their  teeth  against  the 
smooth  side  and  accomplish  it.  There  is  a  muzzle  made, 
through  which  horses  can  pick  up  their  feed  without 
being  able  either  to  bite  or  get  hold  of  anything  with 
their  teeth.  It  is  made  with  two  small  iron  bars,  joined 
to  the  nose  band  of  the  halter,  far  enough  apart  to  allow 
motion  of  the  lips  sufficient  to  pick  up  their  food. 

Weaving  is  another  very  perplexing  habit,  acquired 
from,  I  know  not  what,  and  when  once  learned  I  never 
could  cure  it.  Fretful,  high  tempered  horses  are  most 
prone  to  acquire  it,  and  when  at  full  work  generally  quit 


ING     ^  M  D     OTHEE     TEICKS.         159 

of  their  own  accord.  Some  horses  cannot  be  easy  till  they 
have  pawed  their  bedding  quite  out  of  the  way,  leaving 
them  the  bare  floor  to  lie  on,  soiling  their  clothes  and 
Lair  in  a  manner  not  very  agreeable  to  the  groom,  his 
duties  thereby  being  much  increased.  Turning  them  loose 
in  a  box,  fastening  a  clog  above  the  knee,  will  sometimes 
cure  this  evil.  When  the  latter  is  tried,  there  should 
be  a  pad.  applied  to  the  shin,  to  keep  the  clog  from  in- 
juring the  very  sensitive  membrane  covering  the  tendons. 
From  having  been  led  carelessly  through  a  doorway, 
where  they  have  been  injured,  horses  are  afterwards  fear- 
ful of  attempting  the  passage,  and  when  urged  to  do  so 
will  go  through  with  a  bound  that  adds  greatly  to  the 
danger.  Compel  the  groom  to  get  the  horse  square  with 
the  door  before  leading  him  out,  holding  him  firmly  by 
the  halter,  so  that  the  leap  cannot  be  made,  never  urging 
him  to  go  faster  than  the  slowest  pace ;  in  no  case  per- 
mitting a  blow  to  be  given.  Eather  than  use  force,  either 
blindfold  or  back  him  out,  until  the  fear  is  overcome  by 
judicious  usage. 

Kicking  the  sides  of  the  stall  is  a  very  unfortunate  cus- 
tom some  horses  possess,  and  no  amount  of  punishment 
will  cure  one  that  has  become  determined  in  the  practice. 
Clogs  and  whips  are  of  no  avail,  and  it  seems  to  be  al- 
most a  species  of  insanity,  compelling  them  to  kick  away 
till  their  legs  are  bruised  and  swollen  from  the  blows.  I 
had  one  very  fine  horse  that  I  had  tried  every  method  of 
cure  I  could  hear  of  without  effect.  "When  he  was  shackled, 
of  course  he  could  not  kick,  neither  could  he  lie  down, 
and  I  have  kept  him  standing  for  a  week,  when  in  less 
than  an  hour  after  the  straps  were  removed  he  would  fall 
to  kicking  as  furiously  as  if  the  lost  time  had  to  be  made 
up.  I  cured  him  by  putting  him  in  a  stall  about  the 
width  usually  made  in  livery  stables,  the  sides  of  the  same 
length  of  the  horse  when  standing  with  his  head  at  the 


160  HOBSE     PORTRAITURE. 

manger.  A  bar  was  dropped  behind  his  quarters  to 
keep  him  from  backing.  Through  the  sides  of  the  stall  a 
slot  was  cut  large  enough  to  admit  a  plank  two  inches 
thick  and  eighteen  inches  wide.  This  plank  came  within 
half  an  inch  of  his  loin,  and  of  course  he  could  not  raise 
himself  to  kick.  It  was  amusing  to  watch  the  rage  he 
would  get  in  at  finding  his  most  violent  eflbrts  frustrated. 
I  looked  for  him  to  strike  with  one  foot,  and  intended,  if 
he  had  done  so,  to  let  a  shelf  extend  on  each  side  as  high 
as  his  gaskins,  which  would  have  prevented  it.  The  plank 
over  the  loin,  however,  cured  him,  and  I  never  heard  of 
his  relapsing  into  his  former  bad  practice,  although  going 
from  my  stable  into  a  stall  that  had  not  these  appliances. 


CHAPTEE    XII. 

CONSTRUCTING  THE  TKACK — BREAKING  COLTS. 

PUPIL. — Stable  tricks  and  vices  are  very  annoying ;  and 
tne  old  adage  of  prevention  being  tenfold  better  than 
cure,  is  worthy  of  being  accepted  as  saving  an  immensity 
of  trouble,  by  nipping  in  the  bud  habits  that  become  in- 
curable when  allowed  to  seat  themselves.  Idleness  and 
confinement  are  a  source  of  most  of  them,  and  when  horses 
are  in  sufficient  exercise  there  is  not  much  danger  of  their 
acquiring  them.  Having  now  a  little  spare  time  before 
dinner,  I  will  take  up  the  history  of  the  Iowa  farm,  broken 
off  when  the  training-barn  was  built.  We  will  now  con- 
struct the  track,  and  begin  the  education  of  the  colts,  by 
this  time  well  advanced  in  their  second  year.  The  field 
where  we  will  build  the  track  has  already  been  partially 
described ;  lying  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  that  di- 
vides the  estate  in  nearly  equal  portions.  I  find  an  old 
habit — so  old,  indeed,  that  it  is  one  of  the  very  first  of 
my  recollections — still  clinging  to  me,  and  which  I  will 
never  be  able  to  rid  myself  of.  My  life  has  been  twofold : 
the  actual,  made  up  of  rather  more  stirring  scenes  than 
falls  to  the  lot  of  every  one,  in  which  I  have  exhibited  a 
fair  share  of  energy  and  determination ;  the  other  has 
been  an  inner  life,  which  has  more  than  occupied  its  due 
half  of  my  years, — a  dreamy,  inactive  one,  where  fancy  has 
taken  place  of  reality,  affording  day-dreams,  more  en- 
trancing than  the  rosiest  visions,  dreams  seen  while  the 


162  HOESE    POKTRAITUKE. 

spirit  was  freed  from  its  gross  material  covering,  rambling 
un trammeled  through,  every  clime,  and  witnessing  won- 
drous things,  the  recollections  of  which  have  never  been 
effaced.  These  fantasies  now  make  up  a  definite  period 
of  my  existence.  It  requires  a  strong  effort  of  the  memory 
to  separate  the  ideal  from  the  actual,  and  I  have  often 
detected  myself  recounting  some  adventure  which  was  a 
mixture  of  both  lives. 

I  remark  this,  to  account  for  my  talking  about  the  breed- 
ing-farm as  if  it  were  a  thing  tangible  and  real,  with  the 
brood  mares,  colts,  fields,  paddocks,  and  buildings,  just  as 
I  have  described  them.  When  I  return  to  Iowa,  there 
will  be  times  when  I  shall  walk  over  the  pasture  field  on 
my  own  little  farm,  saunter  along  past  the  church  and 
school-house,  and  be  disappointed,  in  climbing  the  little 
elevation  between  these  and  the  stone-house,  not  to  see 
the  colts  gamboling  in  the  field,  or  the  prairie  rose  and 
woodbine  draping  the  house,  relieved  now  by  nothing 
save  the  shade  of  the  oaks  in  the  background. 

The  field  is  slightly  undulating,  and  of  sufficient  extent 
to  get  any  shape  we  may  desire  the  track  to  be.  We  will 
adopt  the  one  you  recommend, — two  parallel  sides  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  each,  joined  with  semicircles  of  the  same 
length.  The  soil  is  just  what  is  best  adapted  for  the  pur- 
pose,— a  dark  sandy  loam,  the  proportion  of  sand  being 
small.  The  richness  of  it  is  attested  by  the  corn  growing 
so  high  that  there  are  stalks  where  the  ear  is  almost  out 
of  a  man's  reach,  with  the  tassels  waving  fifteen  feet  above 
the  ground.  We  commence  by  plowing  deeply,  either 
using  a  double  Michigan  plow  drawn  by  four  horses,  or 
make  two  teams  follow  each  other  in  the  same  furrow. 
The  advantage  of  deep  plowing,  is  to  get  a  stratum  of  this 
easily  pulverized  soil  that  can  be  leveled  without  leaving 
hard  places  near  the  surface,  causing  inequalities  that  will 
be  hard  to  get  rid  of.  The  plowing  accomplished,  the 


PREPARING     TITjd     TEACK.  163 

harrow  and  brush  are  used  till  it  is  in  as  fine  tilth  as 
would  be  necessary  to  raise  a  premium  crop  of  onions. 
We  will  now  commence  walking  the  horses  on  it,  which 
will  destroy  the  even  surface  and  tread  it  into  holes.  A 
scraper  will  then  be  needed,  and  according  to  my  idea, 
the  best  is  constructed  on  the  following  plan  :  Take  two 
oak  planks,  fourteen  feet  long  and  a  foot  in  width.  They 
are  placed  together  so  as  to  form  two  sides  of  an  equila- 
teral triangle,  the  apex  joined  by  strong  iron  hinges.  Bars 
are  framed  in  near  the  base,  fastened  only  at  one  end,  tso 
that  the  planks  can  be  brought  together  or  separated  as 
wanted.  The  plank  on  the  right  hand  side,  as  you  stand 
behind  it,  is  faced  with  a  thin  plate  of  steel,  extending 
half  an  inch  below  the  wood.  A  chain  runs  from  the 
point  two-thirds  of  the  way  along  this  plank,  so  as  to 
change  the  line  of  draft  as  required  by  the  spreading 
of  the  instrument.  At  the  very  end,  a  handle  is  bolted 
on,  by  which  a  man  guides  it,  and  allows  the  dirt  pushed 
away  by  the  steel-plate,  to  be  deposited  wherever  de- 
sired, by  lifting  on  this  handle. 

We  commence  on  the  turn,  closing  the  scraper  till  it  is 
six  feet  across  the  base  of  the  triangle,  the  left-hand  plank 
running  in  the  furrow,  which  prevents  it  sliding  to  the 
left,  and  the  other  side  carrying  all  the  loose  dirt  the  width 
that  the  instrument  is  set  to  the  right.  We  keep  on, 
cleaning  out  the  ditches  the  same  way  as  on  the  stretches, 
only  that  we  close  the  scraper  still  more  as  we  want  a 
level  surface  there,  while  the  turns  should  be  formed  so  as 
to  have  a  gradual  slope  rising  from  the  inside.  The  out- 
side of  a  track  twenty  feet  wide  should  be  raised  two  feet. 
Having  followed  the  inside  furrow  once  round  the  track, 
we  open  the  wings  of  the  scraper,  keeping  the  draught 
chain  regulated  so  as  to  carry  the  dirt  on  tlje  semicircles 
further  towards  the  outside ;  while  on  the  stretches  it  is 
drawn  in  such  a  manner  that  the  loose  soil  is  leveled 


164  HOESE    POBTRAITUEE. 

only,  a  very  small  proportion  of  it  finding  its  way  outside. 
As  the  track  becomes  hard,  we  load  the  scraper,  to  enable 
it  to  cut  off  the  inequalities,  depositing  the  surplus  in  the 
depressions. 

We  will  also  want  a  harrow,  built  after  a  different 
plan  from  the  approved  agricultural  pattern.  The  teeth 
should  be  made  of  steel,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and 
one  and  a  half  inches  wide,  hammered  to  a  point,  and  the 
edge  sharpened.  These  teeth  are  set  in  a  frame  and  in- 
clined a  little  backward.  They  are  placed  in  three  di- 
visions, arranged  so  they  will  cut  the  space  in  which  they 
run  into  inch  strips.  A  pole  is  necessary  that  it  may  fol- 
low the  team,  which  is  further  controlled  by  handles  like 
those  of  a  plow.  Should  the  track  become  hard,  this  in- 
strument cuts  it  up  very  effectually  to  the  depth  required, 
leaving  a  light  coating  of  loose  dirt,  which  has  a  great  ef- 
fect in  moderating  the  concussion  consequent  upon  the 
rapid  motion  of  a  horse,  also  filling  up  the  space  between 
the  shoe  sole  and  frog,  the  benefit  of  greater  elasticity  in 
yielding  to  the  jamming  force  of  the  blow  thus  secured. 
We  will  find  the  constant  use  of  the  harrow,  brush,  and 
scraper  needed  during  the  first  year  ;  after  that  the  track 
can  be  kept  in  order  with  a  great  deal  less  work. 

After  a  rain,  the  track  should  be  harrowed  when  it  has 
become  dry  enough  not  to  clog  the  teeth.  This  keeps  the 
surface  from  drying  and  cupping  out.  The  brush  spoken 
of,  I  make  by  having  an  axle  ten  feet  long  placed  in  the 
hind  wheels  of  a  lumber  wagon,  with  holes  bored  in  it 
two  inches  in  diameter,  and  six  or  eight  inches  apart. 
The  holes  are  sloping,  so  that,  when  the  wheels  are  on  and 
the  brush  fastened  in  these  holes,  it  will  be  held  firmly 
against  the  ground.  Elm  or  birch  is  the  best,  the  pliant 
twigs  lasting  a  long  while  before  they  need  renewing. 
This  levels  the  newly  harrowed  surface  admirably,  and  I 
have  never  known  any  other  instrument  needed  to  keep 


DKAINING    AND    FENCING    THE    TRACK.    165 

a  track  in  first-rate  order.  There  are,  of  course,  exceptions. 
The  Chicago  Driving  Park  Course  is  on  a  level,  sandy 
prairie,  which  cuts  up  in  dry  weather  till  horses  can  only 
wallow  through  the  loose  soil.  A  coating  of  clay  was  used, 
but  it  was  of  a  character  that  slaked,  the  track  becoming 
nearly  as  bad  as  before  the  application.  It  was  then 
covered  with  a  thin  coating  of  coal  cinders,  obtained  at  a 
neighboring  rolling-mill.  These,  when  properly  pulver- 
ized by  a  very  heavy  roller,  made  a  great  improvement. 
Wet  weather,  which  before  the  application  of  the  cinders 
would  have  precluded  work  upon  the  track,  now  scarcely 
affects  it. 

On  this  rich  prairie  soil,  there  is  not  much  difficulty  in 
either  building  or  keeping  a  track  in  order.  The  team 
does  the  whole  work,  and  I  have  seen  as  good  a  training- 
track  as  any  one  could  desire,  where  there  never  was  a 
spade  or  shovel  used.  The  drainage  is  effected  by  the 
slope  of  the  track,  carrying  all  the  water  to  the  inner 
ditch,  two  small  culverts  being  sufficient  to  convey  it  to 
the  outside,  where  the  natural  depression  makes  a  channel 
for  it  to  flow  into  a  little  stream  that  carries  it  into  the 
Mississippi.  As  I  remarked  when  locating  the  stable,  the 
-track  runs  almost  to  it — so  near  that  the  shed  for  the 
wagons  and  sulkies  takes  up  nearly  the  whole  space 
between  them.  The  track  is  fenced  around,  the  first  curve 
with  a  board  fence,  the  boards  close  together,  and  so  high 
as  to  present  a  formidable  barrier,  should  a  colt  try  to 
bolt  as  he  approaches  the  barn.  The  rest  of  the  distance 
the  fence  is  of  wire,  and  the  newly  planted  cotton-woods 
are  expected  to  take  the  place  of  the  posts-,  acquiring  suf- 
ficient size  long  before  the  present  ones  decay.  The  cotton- 
wood  was  certainly  created  expressly  for  the  prairie,  its 
quick  growth  and  hardiness  making  it  the  very  tree 
needed  for  many  purposes.  It  can  be  trained  to  almost 
any  form,  either  throwing  out  its  branches  near  the 

8 


166  HOESE     PORTBAITUBE. 

ground,  making  a  perfect  pyramid  of  verdure  when  in  full 
leaf ;  or,  by  pruning  the  lower  branches,  it  shoots  up  with 
a  top  not  large  enough  to  injure  vegetation  by  its  sha- 
dow, or  prevent  the  sun  evaporating  the  water  on  the 
course.  This  makes  a  fence  that  will  last  for  many  years  ; 
the  galvanized  wire  being  nearly  indestructible,  while  the 
living  posts  will  be  good  for  generations  to  come.  The 
trees  are  planted  only  six  feet  apart,  and  the  wire  will  be 
fastened  to  them  by  staples  driven  into  the  wood.  The 
only  care  needed  will  be  to  cut  these  staples  as  the  tree 
increases  its  growth,  and  replace  them  with  others.  If 
this  were  neglected,  the  rapidly  growing  tree  would  soon 
enclose  wire  and  staple,  and  the  swaying  of  the  tree  in 
the  wind  might  break  them,  which  the  play  of  the  wire  in 
the  staples  will  prevent. 

We  are  now  ready  to  commence  breaking  the  colts  in  a 
business-like  manner,  and  as  the  pleasant  Indian  Summer 
days  arrive,  we  will  give  our  pupils  the  second  lesson  in 
the  horse  "rudimans."  They  are  all  thoroughly  halter- 
broken,  never  having  been  allowed  to  go  a  week  without 
being  led  and  tied  up.  The  head-stall  of  a  bridle,  with  a 
email  snaffle  bit,  is  put  on  over  the  halter,  accustoming 
them  to  wear  it  by  leaving  it  on  when  they  are  fed.  Very 
soon  the  novelty  is  acquiesced  in,  and  they  become  famil- 
iar with  the  bit.  We  now  lead  them  with  the  reins  at- 
tached, in  lieu  of  the  halter,  accustoming  them  to  turn  to 
either  side  as  required.  The  harness,  or  rather  the  pad 
and  girth,  is  placed  on  them,  and  the  driving  reins  are 
applied,  without  passing  them  through  the  terrets,  so  that, 
if  a  colt  turns  around  quickly,  we  still  have  the  reins  in  a 
position  to  control  him.  Each  colt  is  practiced  thus  till 
he  acquires  a  mouth,  that  is,  till  he  will  obey  the  least 
touch  of  the  bit,  without  bending  his  neck  or  sidling  his 
body.  It  requires  command  of  temper,  and  great  patience, 
to  make  this  part  of  the  training  effectual.  But  when 


BEEAKING     COLTS.  167 

once  thoroughly  accomplished,  the  benefit  will  well  repay 
the  time  thus  employed.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  walk  day 
after  day  behind  a  colt,  watching  his  slightest  motion  ; 
now  touching  him  with  the  whip  to  straighten  him  or 
make  him  answer  the  bit,  compelling  him  to  stop  at  the 
word  of  command,  and  to  move  in  a  straight  line  till  you 
signalize  him  to  turn  with  the  rein.  This  is  not  as  pleas- 
ant as  to  sit  in  a  sulky,  and  have  him  draw  you  while  ad- 
ministering the  lesson  ;  yet  you  teach  him  this  way  far 
more  thoroughly.  If  placed  in  the  shafts  before  he  knows 
what  the  bit  means,  or  what  is  required  of  him  in  this  new 
situation,  he  will  be  far  more  likely  to  get  in  trouble. 
Should  he  move  sideways  till  he  strikes  the  shaft,  he  is 
frightened,  and  throws  himself  violently  against  it,  upset- 
ting the  sulky,  or  he  becomes  sullen  and  will  not  move  at 
all.  The  sharp  single  blow  of  the  whip  that  you  can  give 
in  the  former  situation  with  impunity,  cannot  now  be  ven- 
tured on  without  risk.  You  lead  and  coax  till  he  plainly 
understands  he  has  got  the  advantage,  and  will  keep  it. 
I  can  exemplify  this  by  recounting  my  "  experience  "  with 
a  young  mare  I  was  training.  She  had  been  broken  when 
I  got  her,  and  the  first  notice  I  had  of  there  being  any 
thing  wrong,  was  her  refusal  to  go  past  the  barn,  which 
was  within  twenty  yards  of  the  track.  If  led  for  a  few 
rods,  she  would  go  on  till  she  came  around,  only  to  be 
more  determined  in  her  obstinacy.  A  touch  of  the  whip 
showed  she  had  been  coerced  in  that  way,  and  knew  how 
to  resent  it  by  wheeling  so  abruptly  as  to  endanger  up- 
setting the  vehicle.  I  took  her  out  of  the  shafts,  took  a 
long  whip  and  gave  her  the  word  to  proceed.  She  shook 
her  head  when  a  light  touch  of  the  whip  was  given.  The 
moment  she  attempted  to  wheel  I  hit  her  with  all  the  force 
I  was  master  of  in  one  blow.  She  retaliated  by  kicking  as 
violently  as  I  had  struck.  I  straightened  her  into  the 
track,  and  on  her  refusal  struck  her  the  one  severe  blow 


168  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

again,  giving  her  time  to  go  on  and  never  repeating  the 
blow  till  she  was  placed  properly  to  go  straight  past  the 
barn.  It  was  not  long  before  she  became  satisfied  that  her 
best  course  was  to  do  as  she  was  wanted,  and  passed  and 
repassed  the  barn  without  any  hesitation.  Had  I  attempt- 
ed this  lesson  when  she  was  in  the  sulky,  confining  her 
with  lacking-straps,  in  all  probability  she  would  have 
thrown  herself,  breaking  the  shafts,  or  doing  mischief  of 
some  kind. 

After  the  colts  are  thoroughly  broken  to  the  bit,  the 
rest  of  the  harness  is  put  on,  and  as  soon  as  they  become 
familiarized  with  the  breaching  dangling  about  their  quar- 
ters, they  are  placed  in  the  shafts,  taking  the  precaution 
of  using  a  kicking-strap,  though  in  all  of  the  colts  I  have 
broken  but  one  or  two  have  needed  this  safeguard.  By 
the  time  the  snow  and  frost  have  followed  the  golden  au- 
tumn, our  colts  are  all  broken,  and  are  wintered  much  the 
same  way  as  the  preceeding  season,  fed  all  they  will  eat 
heartily,  and  allowed  plenty  of  opportunity  for  exercise. 
They  are  now  nearly  as  handy  as  old  horses,  having  been 
driven  single  and  double,  without  requiring  them  to  show 
more  speed  than  their  natural  trot.  When  brought  safely 
through  the  winter,  so  well  grown  and  furnished,  that  they 
look  like  three-year-olds,  nearly  all  of  them  being  over 
fifteen  hands,  and  "  thick  through  as  a  hay-stack." 

I  beg  pardon,  as  I  find  I  have  been  talking  as  if  I  were 
the  master,  in  place  of  the  scholar  who  hopes  to  profit  so 
much  from  your  instruction. 

PEECEPTOB. — There  is  no  need  of  offering  any  apologies, 
as  I  have  previously  told  you  that  your  experience  in  rear- 
ing, breeding,  and  handling  colts  has  been  much  more  ex- 
tensive than  mine,  and  that  you  are  therefore  capable  of 
teaching  me  this  branch  of  the  business.  I  never  broke  a 
colt  in  my  life,  though  I  have  had  horses  that  I  would 
much  rather  have  had  in  a  state  of  nature  than  as  they 


BITTING.  169 

were,  possessing  all  the  bad  tricks  a  faulty  education  could 
engender.  There  is  one  part  of  your  conversation  that  I 
want  you  still  further  to  explain, — the  mouthing,  as  you 
termed  it.  Am  I  to  understand  that  this  is  to  take  the 
place  of  bitting,  and  if  so,  how  it  is  effected,  by  merely 
driving  with  the  pad  and  reins  ? 

PUPIL. — I  am  glad  you  have  questioned  me  on  that 
point,  as  I  have  had  frequent  arguments  with  those  who 
hold  to  the  barbarous  practice  of  bitting,  when  done  by 
the  old  appliances,  which  is  to  have  a  wide  surcingle,  or 
rather  leathern  roller,  with  rings,  buckles,  and  loops,  in 
every  place  where  there  was  room  to  sew  them  ;  a  strong 
crupper  and  bridle,  with  a  half-dozen  reins  attached  ;  a 
large  snaffle  bit,  with  three  or  four  little  pendants  joined 
to  the  ring  in  the  centre,  like  those  worn  on  Mexican 
spurs.  These  are  put  on  the  poor  colt,  the  bearing  reins 
tightened  till  his  head  is  thrown  in  the  air,  when  the  side 
reigns  are  buckled,  so  as  to  compel  him  to  bring  his  muz- 
zle as  close  to  his  breast  as  the  check  will  permit.  He  is 
now  turned  into  a  yard,  and  his  tormentor  takes  a  whip, 
and  forces  him  to  run  around  in  this  confined  space  till 
the  man  becomes  tired.  The  victim  is  not  released  then, 
but  is  left  to  fight  against  the  bit,  and  endure  the  horrid 
punishment  for  hours  at  a  stretch.  When  asked  the  rea- 
sons for  thus  cruelly  treating  him,  you  will  be  answered, 
"that  he  may  give  way  to  the  bit,  get  a  proper,  elegant  car- 
riage, set  him  on  his  haunches,"  &c.,  &c.  There  is  not  an 
iota  of  sense  in  all  this  talk.  The  sensitiveness  of  the 
mouth,  on  which  much  of  the  pleasure  of  riding  or  driv- 
ing a  horse  depends,  is  destroyed.  The  constrained  car- 
riage of  the  head  is  anything  but  elegant,  while  the  throw- 
ing on  the  haunches,  carries  no  meaning  with  it  at  all.  It 
is  very  true  that  when  a  colt  is  first  put  to  work,  he  has  a 
slovenly  way  of  going  ;  his  head  is  carried  low,  and  his 
whole  appearance  is  very  different  from  one  that  has  ac- 


170  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

quired  the  graces  of  the  manege.  You  see  no  lack  of 
beauty  of  motion  and  carriage  in  the  same  animal  when 
playing  in  the  field ;  and  only  give  him  time  enough  to 
learn  the  lessons  that  cannot  be  hurried  by  a  few  days' 
suffering  in  the  bitting  bridle,  and  he  will  surpass  those 
with  tempers  spoiled  by  that  persecution.  The  first  les- 
sons our  colts  received  were  given  before  they  were  any 
more  afraid  of  mankind  than  they  were  of  their  dams. 
King  is  the  only  instance  I  ever  knew  of  a  colt  when  first 
foaled,  being  terrified  at  the  approach  of  a  man,  who  took 
the  proper  method  of  making  his  advances.  These  colts 
have  been  groomed,  fondled,  accustomed  to  have  their 
feet  taken  up,  and  hence  are  like  old  horses  in  these 
particulars.  During  the  summer,  when  the  halters  were 
put  on,  they  were  allonged  by  attaching  a  strap  to  a  ring  in 
the  front  part  of  the  nose-band,  which  I  think  much  better 
than  performing  the  same  operation  with  a  bridle  or  cord 
put  round  the  lower  jaw,  as  that  is  apt  to  make  the 
mouth  unequal  by  a  greater  pressure  coming  on  one  side. 
When  we  commence  driving  them  in  the  manner  recom- 
mended, a  check  or  bearing  rein  is  applied,  so  loose- 
ly, however,  that  it  will  not  be  felt  unless  the  head  is 
thrown  down  lower  than  the  level  of  the  withers.  This  is 
made  shorter  by  degrees,  accustoming  them  gradually  to 
the  constraint,  but  it  should  never  be  allowed  to  interfere 
with  an  easy  carriage  of  the  head. 

I  have  found  in  some  headstrong  colts  a  propensity  to 
try  to  rid  themselves  of  the  check  by  throwing  their  heads 
violently  down,  in  some  cases  succeeding  in  breaking  the 
check  rein  or  crupper  strap.  A  judicious  touch  of  the 
whip  will  generally  reform  this  conduct,  and  an  additional 
prevention  will  be  found  by  using  what  is  generally  termed 
the  "  Kemble  Jackson  check."  I  prefer  using  separate  bits 
for  the  driving  reins  and  check,  if  even  applied  in  the  cus- 
tomary manner.  The  check  bit  is  drawn  too  much  into 


IKJURIESFEOM     CHARLATANS.  171 

the  corners  of  the  mouth,  while,  by  using  one  untram- 
meled,  the  horse  heeds  its  suggestions  quicker,  and  the  dri- 
ver is  not  met  by  an  opposing  force  which  often  counteracts 
the  effect  intended.  The  muscles  of  the  human  arm  are 
far  better  than  any  dumb  jockey,  St.  Andrew's  cross,  or 
other  contrivance  used  to  mouth  horses,  and  keep  the  sen- 
sitiveness and  delicacy  of  the  bars  uninjured.  The  force 
is  regulated  by  attending  circumstances,  and  one  thorough 
lesson  given  in  this  way,  will  effect  more  than  any  one  not 
familiar  with  the  plan  would  believe  possible.  I  do  not 
believe  in  talking  much  to  the  colts  when  breaking  them. 
A  pat  on  the  neck,  or  the  hand  passed  caressingly  over  the 
face  and  nostrils,  is  much  preferable  to  many  words  or- 
much  fussing.  The  commands  should  be  distinct,  and  the 
tones  of  the  voice,  when  giving  them,  as  little  varied  as 
possible.  Every  command  must  be  enforced,  and  hence  the 
greatest  caution  must  be  observed  that  we  do  not  require 
what  the  colts  cannot  yet  be  expected  to  perform.  There 
is  no  question  but  that  much  benefit  followed  the  teach- 
ings of  Rarey,  though  I  am  just  as  positively  certain  that 
the  injuries  resulting  from  charlatans,  who  have  traveled 
over  the  country  exhibiting  their  ignorance  and  brutality 
has  more  than  counterbalanced  the  good.  I  saw  an  in- 
stance of  this  lately  where  a  fine  young  mare — the  get  of 
the  Falcon,  and  out  of  a  thoroughbred  dam — was  the  victim. 
She  had  been  suffered  to  grow  up  without  handling,  and 
being  a  large,  powerful  animal,  her  owner  disliked  to  com- 
mence with  her  education  himself.  A  pair  of  these  travel- 
ing knaves  who  advertised  to  out-Rarey  Rarey,  and  claimed 
to  know  all  of  his  method  of  "  horsemanship,"  and  a  good 
deal  more,  took  this  mare  in  hand.  The  battle  between 
the  noble  animal  and  the  base  bipeds  was  severe.  They 
had  tied  a  rope  round  her  hind  pastern  and  into  the  bit, 
and  the  result  was  what  any  one  of  sense  might  have  ex- 
pected. She  tore  her  mouth  to  pieces,  and  injured  the  leg 


172  HOUSE    POETEAITUEE. 

so  that  there  will  be  always  a  permanent  enlargement 
of  the  upper  pastern  joint.  They  effected  nothing-,  and 
when  I  saw  her  she  could  not  be  led  out  of  the  stable,  if 
strangers  were  present.  I  am  very  peaceably  inclined, 
and  after  a  quarrel,  feel  exceedingly  uncomfortable  till  time 
obliterates  it  from  my  mind.  But  had  I  happened  along 
when  these  fellows  were  ill-treating  this  daughter  of  the 
Falcon,  there  would  have  been  a  case  of  assault  and  bat- 
tery, sure. 

PEECEPTOR. — Tour  reasoning  is,  that  bitting,  as  ordina- 
rily practiced,  is  prejudicial ;  and  not  having  much  know- 
ledge of  the  subject,  I  am  unable  to  say.  It  is  certain  that 
a  horse  with  a  faulty  configuration  can  never  be  taught 
to  carry  himself  in  a  proper  manner.  It  would  also  be 
hard  to  say  which  carriage  is  the  most  proper  for  a  fast 
trotter,  as  there  has  been  as  much  difference  in  the  cele- 
brities in  this  particular  as  in  others.  Some  have  argued 
that  style  is  incompatible  with  speed  of  the  highest  rate. 
That  species  of  style  which  is  shown  by  high,  faulty  action, 
and  a  peacock  demeanor,  does  not,  it  is  true,  comport  with 
fast  trotting.  Style,  the  result  of  proper  form  and  good 
breeding,  is  quite  a  different  thing.  The  neck  justly  at- 
tached to  the  body,  springing  from  the  sloping  shoulder, 
and  ended  by  the  right  setting-in  of  the  head,  requires 
but  little  artificial  aid  to  have  it  carried  in  a  way  the  most 
favorable  to  appearance,  and  not  in  any  way  antagonisti- 
cal  to  speed.  The  bearing  or  check  rein,  is  of  great  im- 
portance in  trotting,  and  the  one  you  have  alluded  to  as 
the  Kemble  Jackson  is  little  understood,  being  used  light 
and  wrong  by  those  unacquainted  with  what  it  is  intended 
to  effect.  It  is  a  powerful  auxiliary  in  handling  turbulent 
horses,  or  those  that  require  to  be  more  "  thrown  on  their 
haunches," — though  I  agree  with  you  that  that  term,  so 
long  in  use,  does  not  rightly  express  what  is  meant.  I 


DEKTITIOK.  173 

mil  not  introduce  the  subject  of  reins  and  bits  till  after 
dinner,  when  we  can  give  it  the  attention  it  deserves. 

To-morrow,  I  intend  starting  on  a  trip  that  I  had  con- 
templated making  later  in  the  season,  but  have  concluded 
that  you  will  miss  me  less  now  than  after  your  horses 
commence  the  other  stages  of  the  preparation.  They  will 
need  watching,  to  see  that  their  feed  is  regulated  to  suit 
the  appetite  and  keep  them  in  about  the  same  flesh  as  at 
present.  When  feeding  time  comes,  every  horse  ought 
to  signify  his  desire  by  neighing  ;  and  if  he  does  not  ex- 
press his  anxiety  on  hearing  the  sieve  rattle,  his  rations 
should  be  diminished  ;  and  those  that  unmistakably  show 
that  their  appetite  has  not  been  satisfied  must  have  theirs 
increased.  The  colts'  mouths  will  have  to  be  examined 
frequently,  to  see  that,  while  undergoing  the  process  of 
dentition,  their  mouths  are  not  made  sore  from  the  old 
teeth  not  being  shed  at  the  right  time.  The  milk  teeth 
are  partially  absorbed  by  those  growing  to  take  their  place, 
and  often  hang  by  the  integuments  adhering  to  the  side 
of  the  tooth,  and  preventing  proper  mastication  of  the 
food.  Old  horses  frequently  suffer  from  the  grinding 
teeth  not  wearing  away  evenly,  leaving  sharp,  jagged 
points  to  wound  the  inside  of  the  lips.  The  file  must  be 
used  to  reduce  them  to  a  proper  shape,  Horses  that  are 
suffering  from  this  cause  will  signify  it  by  partly  chewing 
the  hay,  which  will  fall  out  of  their  mouth,  in  consequence 
of  holding  their  head  on  one  side  to  allow  the  food  to 
come  under  the  pressure  of  the  teeth  on  the  well  side,  &c. 
A  decayed  tooth  may  be  the  cause,  though  generally  it  is 
the  sharp  one  wounding  the  tender  parts  adjacent.  With 
the  file  made  on  purpose  for  this  section  of  horse  dentis- 
try, and  which  is  guarded  from  injuring  by  being  made 
round  and  smooth  on  the  back,  the  job  is  easily  accom- 
plished, though  I  have  seen  cases  that  were  neglected  till 

8* 


174  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

the  wounded  check  became  ulcerated,  making  a  sore  that 
was  very  difficult  to  heal. 

By  the  time  I  return,  the  Falcon,  Never  Mind,  and  Jane 
will  be  ready  to  be  harnessed.  The  colts  you  may  begin 
at  once  with,  as  the  more  practice  they  get,  the  quicker 
they  will  learn ;  and  not  expecting  them  to  trot  fast 
enough  to  require  first-rate  condition,  we  will  make  the 
first  consideration  to  teach  them  as  much  of  their  harness 
education  as  the  time  will  permit.  This  is  a  matter  we 
also  discuss  after  dinner.  I  feel  that  my  digestive  organs 
are  in  proper  order,  and  when  the  time  comes  for  me  to 
take  my  feed,  I  require  no  stimulus  to  eat  with  a  relish. 

PUPIL. — I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  I  am  to  be  deprived  of 
your  company,  though  I  am  pleased  you  have  made  up 
your  mind  to  absent  yourself  when  your  instructions  will 
be  of  less  importance  than  in  the  future.  I  regret,  how- 
ever, that  my  affairs  have  caused  you  to  change  the  time 
of  your  trip  from  that  contemplated  ;  and  you  place  me 
under  renewed  obligations  by  neglecting  your  own  inte- 
rests to  further  mine. 

PKECEPTOK. — You  need  not  mention  the  obligation,  as 
perhaps  I  will  leave  you  again  at  my  ordinary  time  of 
transmigration.  I  have  some  friends  in  the  country  with 
whom  I  spend  a  couple  of  weeks  semi-annually,  and  have- 
always  timed  my  visit  in  the  winter  to  the  holidays,  and  in 
the  summer  to  the  middle  of  July,  when  my  horses  could 
be  advantageously  thrown  up  for  a  while,  and  recuperate 
their  health  and  strength ;  all  parties  benefited  by  laying 
in  a  fund  that  will  carry  us  triumphantly  through  the  fall 
campaign. 


CHAPTEE   XIII. 

BITS,  SNAFFLES,  CHECKS ;  CUBE  FOE,  PULLING  HORSES,  FOR  CALLOUS 
AND   SORE  MOUTHS;   TURKISH  BATH,   &C. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  find  that  after  eating  heartily  it  takes  a 
little  time  before  the  ideas  flow  as  readily  as  when  di- 
gestion is  further  advanced.  The  subject  we  are  going  to 
talk  about  is  of  importance,  requiring  full  use  of  our 
reasoning  faculties,  unobstructed  by  the  over-indulgence 
in  the  good  things  we  get  here.  Smoking,  though, 
certainly  assists  in  collecting  the  scattered  reins  of 
thought ;  and  through  its  soothing  influence  the  mental 
faculties  throw  off  the  lethargy  induced  by  hearty  eating, 
and  ideas  soon  coming  faster  than  one  can  find  words  to 
express  them. 

A  person  not  conversant  with  horse  life  in  all  its 
phases  would  be  surprised  when  shown  a  full  collection 
of  bits, — many  of  them  useless,  some  worse  than  useless, 
testifying  that  their  inventors  would  have  been  in  their 
appropriate  sphere  if  the  old  Spanish  Inquisition  still 
needed  their  aid  in  devising  instruments  of  torture.  The 
snaffle,  in  its  various  sizes  and  forms,  is  the  most  useful ; 
and  were  we  restricted  to  one  pattern,  that  would  be  the 
one  chosen.  But  as  we  can  pick  and  choose  through 
these  and  through  all  the  varieties  of  the  bar,  chain,  and 
leather,  it  will  be  very  hard  if  we  cannot  suit  our  horses' 
mouths.  The  curb  is  generally  thought  inadmissible  for 
trotting  purposes,  though  I  have  seen  one  or  two  instan- 
ces where  its  use  was  beneficial.  It  will  be  almost  im- 


176  HOKSE    POETEAITUEE. 

possible,  to  prescribe,  merely  from  hearing  how  a  horse 
performed,  or  even  by  driving  him,  which  style  would 
be  best  to  use.  Experiments  will  be  the  only  guide  to 
direct  us,  and  we  will  find  many  trials  necessary  to  know 
which  is  the  best  for  each  horse  under  our  charge. 

Colts'  mouths  are  generally  greatly  injured  in  the  first 
lessons  given,  and  the  delicacy  of  feeling  destroyed,  by  the 
use  of  the  machinery  you  spoke  of.  Many  seem  to  think 
this  is  a  great  point  gained,  and  offering  a  horse  for  sale, 
will  tell  you  that  he  has  a  first-rate  mouth, — meaning  that 
he  has  learned  to  pull  against  the  bit  with  all  the  force 
of  the  masticating  muscles,  regardless  of  the  pain  to  the 
lips  and  bars.  When  I  commence  driving  a  horse  that 
has  not  been  injured  in  the  mouth,  I  always  use  a 
medium-sized  steel  snaffle,  with  long  check  pieces  and 
stout  rings.  Should  he  pull  too  much  on  this,  or  drive  on 
one  rein,  I  change  it  for  a  bar  bit,  again  taking  the 
medium-size.  If  he  shows  a  disposition  to  run  away,  I 
put  a  chain  bit  in  his  mouth,  which  is  as  easy  as  any,  if 
his  perversity  does  not  force  me  to  punish  him  with  it  by 
w  sawing.'  Persistency  in  pulling  generally  compels  me 
to  use  the  high  check.  Should  the  horse's  action  not  be 
'  injuriously  affected,  the  application  is  generally  effectual. 
Before  using  it,  I  try  the  large  leathern  bit,  with  which 
I  have  cured  the  most  obstinate  cases.  Pullies  or  slip 
reining  are  only  admissible  when  there  is  actual  danger 
of  running  away.  The  method  lately  patented  will 
usually  stop  the  most  obdurate.  I  have  long  been 
acquainted  with  the  effectiveness  of  having  the  power  to 
throw  a  horse's  head  up  when  he  attempts  to  kick  or  run 
away.  Still  there  is  an  advantage  in  the  novelties  that 
are  now  protected  by  patents.  Th.ere  is  no  cure  for  a  pull- 
ing horse,  however,  like  that  of  not  pulling  against  him; 
though  it  adds  to  a  person's  steadiness  of  nerve  to  know 
that  he  has  the  applicances  to  stop  a  horse,  should  g-entle- 


BITS,     BEAEING-KEIN,     HEAD     CHECKS.      177 

ness  not  prevail.  A  horse  can  never  be  radically  cured 
of  this  propensity  to  pull,  unless  the  driver  is  determined 
not  to  gratify  the  morbid  habit,  but  to  ease  away  when- 
ever he  rushes  for  the  bit,  and  teach  him  that  his  comfort 
and  ease  of  going  is  dependent  on  his  ceasing  to  pull. 
The  celebrated  English  jockey,  Chiffhey,  wrote  a  treatise 
on  riding  a  race  horse  with  a  slack  rein.  I  have  never 
been  fortunate  enough  to  see  it ;  but,  judging  from  the 
success  he  met  with  in  "  his  mounts,"  his  practice  indi- 
cated the  truth  of  this  theory.  Before  leathern  bits  were 
in  general  use,  I  made  one  with  a  silk  handkerchief.  I  did 
not  transmute  the  silk  into  leather,  but  wound  the  hand- 
kerchief through  two  rings  for  check  pieces.  A  pulling 
mare  that  I  made  it  for  was  reconciled,  and  worked  as 
kindly  as  any  I  ever  drove.  Some  horses  will  not  take 
hold  of  the  bit,  not  even  bearing  enough  on  it  to  keep  the 
reins  straight.  In  some,  this  results  from  want  of  con- 
dition ;  others  seem  to  be  afraid  of  pressure  at  all  times  ; 
while  with  others,  it  only  occurs  when  they  are  very  tired. 
The  bit  is  frequently  the  cause;  and  when  a  horse  has  this 
very  troublesome  failing,  I  shift  the  bits,  and  sometimes 
find  that  he  has  a  liking  for  some  peculiar  pattern,  and 
will  pull  sufficiently  to  steady  him,  which  is  all  that  is 
required.  The  bearing-rein  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
the  education  of  a  trotter  ;  and  though,  like  many  other 
things,  fashion  has  proscribed  it  for  a  time  only  to  sanction 
a  more  stringent  use  of  it  at  another  period.  Very  few 
horses  require  to  be  checked  alike.  A  difference  of  a  few 
holes  will  sometimes  make  a  variation  of  ten  seconds  in 
the  time  for  a  mile. 

When  a  horse  requires  his  head  to  be  elevated  very 
high,  then  the  "  Kemble  Jackson,"  or  head  check,  is  most 
proper.  Having  a  distinct  bit  for  the  check  rein,  allows 
the  one  attached  to  the  driving  reins  the  right  position  in 
the  mouth,  which  would  not  be  the  case  if  it  were  drawn 


178  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

as  far  up  as  the  angles  of  the  lips  would  permit.  Some 
object  to  this  check  on  the  ground  of  the  pressure  on  the 
poll.  This  is  not  so  great  as  is  imagined ;  neither  is  it 
heavier  than  when  checked  to  the  same  altitude  in  the 
ordinary  way.  The  horse  not  being  able  to  lower  his 
head  by  curving  his  neck,  he  cannot  get  so  much  pur- 
chase, either  on  the  bearing  rein,  or  those  that  we  drive 
with.  This  gives  the  advantage  in  managing  turbulent 
horses  I  spoke  of  before  dinner,  as  we  get  them  in  a 
position  where  they  cannot  use  their  strength.  To  illus- 
trate this  :  grasp  me  round  the  body  with  both  arms,  and 
at  the  instant  you  apply  your  whole  strength  to  throw  me 
down,  I  push  up  your  head  with  a  slight  touch  of  the 
hand  on  your  chin,  and  you  will  fall  as  if  shot.  This 
check  was  invented,  or  at  least  used,  to  cure  the  celebrated 
stallion,  from  which  it  derives  the  name,  from  throwing 
his  head  down  when  in  a  break,  and  when  he  could  not 
be  made  to  recover  his  trot  with  his  head  in  that  position. 
The  rapid  improvement  in  this  horse's  gait,  which  placed 
him  at  the  very  top  of  the  list  as  a  weight  drawer,  is 
ascribed  to  its  use,  as  well  as  his  going  into  the  hands  of 
the  "  Field  Marshal."  This  title,  applied  to  Hiram  Wood- 
ruff as  a  driver  of  trotters,  is  hardly  right.  He  should  be 
called  the  Emperor  of  the  Knights  of  the  Whip  and 
Snaffle, — the  Field  Marshals  consisting  of  those  who  have 
a  secondary  renown.  Frequently  there  is  a  marked  change 
in  the  action  of  horses  driven  at  first  in  this  check,  as  the 
weight  of  the  body  is  differently  distributed  by  the  position 
of  the  head.  I  have  read  an  account  of  a  series  of  experi- 
ments made  by  French  veterinarians  in  weighing  a  horse. 
The  scales  were  made  in  two  compartments,  or  rather 
two  platform  scales  were  placed  contiguous,  so  that  the 
hind  feet  were  on  one,  and  the  front  feet  on  the  other. 
It  was  surprising,  the  difference  between  the  weight  of 
the  forehand,  when  the  head  was  elevated  or  depressed. 


THE  KEMBLE  JACKSOK  CHECK.    179 

A  horse  that  has  a  long  dwelling  stroke  is  compelled  to 
shorten  it  when  his  head  is  thus  elevated,  and,  being 
quickened  in  his  recovery  in  a  greater  ratio  than  what 
he  loses  by  shortening  his  stride,  of  course  goes  faster. 
Horses  that  have  the  reverse  of  this  action  would  in  a 
corresponding  manner  be  injured  by  the  appliance.  "When 
an  animal  is  narrow  between  the  jaw-bones,  pulling  com- 
presses the  throttle,  and  the  result  is  roaring,  high  blow- 
ing, whistling,  according  as  the  area  for  the  passage  of 
air  is  diminished.  The  outstretched  nose  makes  a  more 
direct  route  from  the  nostrils  to  the  lungs,  and  the  breath- 
ing is  easier.  The  Kemble  Jackson  check  is  proper,  then, 
when  a  horse  throws  his  head  down  in  a  break,  and  re- 
fuses to  catch  his  trot  only  at  his  pleasure,  when  the  head 
is  thrown  heavily  on  the  bit,  "  hogging,"  as  some  term  it. 
There  is  a  modification  of  this  check  for  an  animal  need- 
ing an  additional  restraint  to  the  usual  paraphernalia,  for 
his  proper  government,  but  being  so  narrow  between  the 
jaws  that  the  breathing  is  impeded,  and  whose  action  will 
be  benefited  by  raising  the  head.  The  reins  run  over  the 
forehead,  and  through  the  loops  between  the  ears,  similar 
to  the  Kemble  Jackson ;  but  in  place  of  running  to  the 
water-hook,  is  furnished  with  gag  runners  through  which 
the  ordinary  bearing -rein  is  run.  I  never  could  see  that 
there  was  much  advantage  gained,  but  I  have  known  men, 
very  successful  in  training,  who  hold  it  in  high  favor. 

The  allongeing  you  mentioned  as  part  of  the  system  of 
breaking  the  colts,  I  have  not  viewed  very  favorably,  and 
have  imagined  that  many  horses  drove  on  one  rein  owed 
the  habit  to  having  been  so  used  by  calouses  forming  on 
one  side  of  the  mouth,  while  the  other  was  natural.  I  have 
thought,  with  other  objections,  that  are  perhaps  of  not 
much  weight,  that  there  is  danger  to  the  legs  from  the 
violence  of  the  animal,  when  confined  in  so  small  a  space. 


180  HORSE    POKTKAITUEE. 

PUPIL. — To  avoid  giving  this  one-sided  mouth,  is  the 
reason  I  use  the  halter  with  a  ring  in  the  noseband ;  and 
when  I  want  to  tame  an  obdurate,  headstrong  animal  that 
cannot  be  handled  with  the  halter,  I  employ,  in  lieu  of  a 
bridle,  a  small  rope  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  This 
I  form  by  making  a  loop  that  is  large  enough  to  go  round 
the  lower  jaw,  tying  a  bowline  knot  that  will  not  slip.  The 
rope  is  placed  over  the  neck,  and  the  end  run  through  the 
loop  on  the  left  side  of  the  jaw.  The  pressure  then  is 
equal  on  both  sides,  excepting  so  much  as  is  produced  by 
the  friction  between  the  loop  and  rope.  Soft  ground  or 
snow  is  indispensable,  especially  when  teaching  the  colt  to 
run  around  in  so  small  a  circle  ;  but  it  is  astonishing  how 
soon  they  learn  to  go  with  safety  to  themselves.  They 
find  out  to  a  nicety  how  far  the  rein  or  rope  will  allow 
them  to  go,  and  will  just  keep  it  straight  without  trying 
to  enlarge  the  circle  in  which  they  are  moving.  I  have 
practiced  colts  in  this  way  for  many  years,  and  have  never 
been  able  to  detect  any  injury  to  their  legs  from  so  doing. 
You  mentioned  having  known  the  curb  bit  used  to  advan- 
tage with  some  trotters ;  and  I  have  known  one  at  least 
that  got  a  good  deal  of  his  trotting  education  in  one  of 
that  character. 

A  celebrated  western  horse,  that* has  trotted  low  down 
in  the  twenties,  and  is  thought  by  many  enthusiastic  ad- 
mirers to  be  able  to  cope  successfully  with  the  best  of  the 
eastern  flyers,  commenced  his  career  when  he  could  nei- 
ther trot  fast,  nor  be  relied  upon  every  time  to  clo  what  he 
could,  having  a  failing  of  buck-jumping  whenever  called 
on  to  go  a  little  faster.  He  was  sold  for  a  trifle,  very  few 
recognizing  him  as  a  horse  of  any  promise.  The  first  races 
he  trotted  he  was  easily  beaten,  through  his  proclivity  for 
going  into  the  air.  His  owner,  whose  silvered  hair  and 
beard  betokened  that  the  vigorous  days  of  manhood  had 
passed,  drove  him  on  the  road  the  following  winter,  and 


TROTTING     WITH     A     CUEB     BIT.  181 

till  late  in  the  succeeding  spring.  In  order  to  drive  him 
easily,  he  used  a  curb  bit,  dashing  down  Michigan  Avenue 
in  a  sleigh,  taking  the  lead  of  all  the  speedy  ones  that  con- 
gregated on  that  street  of  fashionable  resort.  No  matter 
how  icily  the  wind  blew  from  the  congealed  surface  of  the 

lake,  he  was  always  on  hand,  and  his  "  take  care,  ," 

reverberated  above  the  merry  tintinnabulation  of  the 
"bells,  silver  bells."  When  the  frigid  barrier  was  re- 
moved, and  the  clear  liquid  "broke  into  dimples,  and 
laughed  in  the  sun,"  from  the  perfumed  wind  that  had 
not  yet  lost  the  aroma  of  the  orange-blossoms  on  its  way 
from  the  fervid  South ;  when  the  sails  of  many  vessels 
loomed  white  against  the  horizon,  and  dark  columns,  like 
that  which  preceded  the  children  of  Israel  by  day, 
towered  upward  from  the  gallant  steamers  that  were 
plowing  their  way  from  the  harbor  ;  when  the  birds  were 
pairing,  and  the  prairie-flowers  making  their  first  appear- 
ance,   would  be  seen  jogging  leisurely  through  the 

sand  on  Wabash  Avenue  down  the  road  by  the  "  ribbed 
sands,"  where  snug  cottages  nestle  in  the  shade  of  fir 
and  spruce,  and  where  the  climbing  rose  was  showing  its 
green  leaves  on  the  trellis,  soon  to  shine  resplendent  in 
its  gorgeous  blossoms.  The  sleigh  has  given  place  to 
the  light  wagon  or  sulky,  but  no  change  has  taken  place 
in  the  bit.  Here  is  a  good  piece  of  road,  and  "  take  care, 

,"  is  heard  above  the  sounding  of  the  surge,  or  the 

rattle  of  the  wheels.  The  old  man  is  waving  his  cane 
over  the  horse's  back,  like  the  baton  of  a  leader  of  the 
grand  orchestra.  His  white  hair  and  long  beard  are 
flowing  behind,  like  the  streaming  pennon  of  the  pro- 
peller in  the  background,  and  his  gesticulations  are  as 
violent  as  ever  Julien  displayed  when  the  crash  of  cannon 
and  the  rattle  of  cymbals  were  keeping  time  to  the  brazen 
throats  of  a  hundred  instruments.  Truly,  the  horse  is  going 
at  a  fearful  rate ;  nor  has  he  time  to  buck-jump.  The  swing- 


182  HOUSE    POKTBAITUEE 

ing  cane  is  remembered,  and  lie  knows  that  a  mis- 
take will  surely  change  its  direction  from  the  horizontal 
to  the  perpendicular,  leaving  its  impress  on  the  black  and 
shining  quarters.  Predictions  were  rife  that  what  little 
good  was  in  the  horse  would  be  cramped  out  with  the 
curb,  or  beat  out  with  the  cane  ;  but  all  such  prognostica- 
tions proved  false.  He  never  afterwards  lost  a  race;  and 
when  rushing  down  the  stretch  a  twenty  "  clip,"  I  always 
thought  he  recked  little  of  the  whip  or  the  "g'lang"  of  his 
former  drivers.  It  was  visions  of  the  waving  cane  and 
streaming  hair  that  carried  him  along,  impelled  by  the  re- 
collection of  a  power  he  had  been  made  to  acknowledge.  I 
would  not  take  away  a  jot  of  the  well-merited  reputation 
the  successful  drivers  of  this  horse  have  earned ;  but  I 
cannot  quite  shut  my  eyes  to  the  importance  of  the  les- 
sons he  got  from  his  owner,  though  administered  in  a  way 
not  considered  the  best  by  "horsemen." 

PRECEPTOR. — Your  episode  is  the  best  exemplar  of  the 
difficulty  of  saying  what  kind  of  a  bit  is  best  calculated  to 
use,  while  trying  to  improve  the  trotting  speed  of  a  horse. 
In  fact,  when  I  commenced  this  conversation,  I  expected 
to  be  able  to  impart  a  great  deal  of  information,  but  find 
that  actual  practice  will  be  the  only  thing  that  will  illus- 
trate the  effect  of  different  bits.  What  a  variety  of  inven- 
tions I  have  seen,  to  cure  a  horse  from  carrying  the  tongue 
out  of  the  mouth  or  over  the  bit,  and  all  of  them  failures ! 
The  best  remedy  that  has  come  under  my  observation  is 
the  largest  sized  leather  bit,  filling  up  the  mouth  so  that 
the  horse  is  glad  to  keep  the  tongue  in  its  proper  place. 
When  the  mouth  becomes  sore  in  the  angles  of  the 
lips,  it  is  often  a  very  troublesome  matter  to  cure  it.  One 
of  the  best  remedies  is  a  wash  made  with  a  few  drops  of 
creosote,  combined  with  diluted  aqua  ammonia ;  and  it  is 
of  great  importance  that  the  pressure  of  the  bit  should  be 
removed.  To  effect  this,  I  have  the  noseband  of  the  bridle 


BITS     FOE     SOKE     MOUTHS.  183 

made  of  a  thin  steel  plate,  well  padded,  and  covered  with, 
soft  leather.  On  each  side,  a  small  steel  pin  makes  a  joint 
for  another  plate  that  extends  down  the  cheek,  and  is  at- 
tached to  the  bit,  leaving  a  free  motion  forward  and  back- 
ward, but  effectually  stopping  the  bit  from  rising  above 
where  we  intend  it  to  stay.  This  is  also  a  capital  contri- 
vance where  horses  pull  on  one  rein.  When  this  arises 
from  one  side  of  the  mouth  being  sore,  or  from  the  cal- 
louses I  spoke  of,  horses  generally  bear  on  the  side  that  is 
sore,  and,  by  lowering  the  bit  into  a  well  portion  of  the 
mouth,  not  only  gives  the  mouth  an  opportunity  of  getting 
well,  but  greatly  enhances  the  pleasure  of  driving. 

The  celebrated  writer,  Mr.  Brindley — "Harry  Hieo- 
ver" — when  appealed  to  for  a  remedy  to  stop  a  mare 
palling  on  one  rain,  recommended  a  snaffle,  plain  on  one 
side,  the  other  very  much  twisted,  placing  the  twisted  part 
on  the  side  she  pulled  to,  so  as  to  punish  that  side,  and 
render  it  as  sensitive  as  the  other.  This  advice  I  deem 
wrong  ;  and  any  one  can  convince  himself  of  the  fallacy 
of  it,  by  observing  that  the  animal  tries  to  modify  the  pain 
of  the  pressure  of  the  iron  on  the  wound,  by  pulling  till 
sensation  is  not  so  acute.  Should  the  habit  arise  from 
one  side  of  the  mouth  being  calloused,  then,  by  compelling 
the  bit  to  stay  in  another  part,  an  opportunity  is  afforded 
for  the  thickening  integuments  to  soften,  just  as  the  hard, 
horny  palm  of  the  blacksmith  becomes  soft  when  relieved 
from  work.  "VVe  will  now  take  a  retrospective  glance  at 
the  first  part  of  our  training  exercises,  which  is  soon  to  be 
followed  by  a  stage  that  will  require  still  more  strict  atten- 
tion. Training  is  not  alone,  what  some  have  defined  it 
the  art  of  increasing  the  bodily  health  and  vigor  to  the 
highest  pitch.  If  this  were  the  case,  the  system  would  be 
benefited  by  continuing  the  exercises  for  an  indefinite 
period;  and,  barring  accidents,  a  horse  would  become  faster 
and  stronger  the  longer  he  was  kept  in  train.  This  is  true 


184  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

in  a  relative  sense ;  for,  if  the  work  is  given  judiciously,  the 
animal  will  keep  on  improving  till  the  summit  is  reached. 
Yet  this  is  far  short  of  the  time  a  horse  could  be  kept  in 
robust  health,  if  not  called  on  for  the  display  of  his  utmost 
speed  and  endurance. 

English  trainers  claim  to  be  able  to  have  the  horse  at 
his  topmost  rate,  the  very  acme  of  condition,  on  a  desig- 
nated day,  but  will  not  engage  his  staying  there  forty- 
eight  hours  longer.  When  this  point  is  reached  the  bent 
bow  must  be  unstrung,  and  that  very  carefully,  or  the  re- 
coil will  be  more  dangerous  than  the  bracing  required  to 
bring  it  to  bear  the  necessary  strain.  Training,  then,  is 
to  enable  the  horse  to  do  deeds,  without  injury  to  his 
health,  that,  before  the  preparation  he  was  utterly  inca- 
pable of  performing,  and,  by  giving  a  season  of  rest  to 
recuperate  the  taxed  faculties,  render  him  capable  of 
repeating  the  feat,  till  the  time  comes  when  years  abridge 
his  power  to  perform.  Again  :  the  trotter  has  the  advan- 
tage of  the  race  horse,  in  not  requiring  so  long  a  time  to 
recover ;  the  exertion  of  nerve  and  muscle  not  being  so 
great.  It  is  useless  to  argue  that  a  fast-trotting  gait  is  as 
tiresome  as  the  run.  Many  claim  so  without  having  taken 
steps  to  prove  it ;  like  those  who  argued  that  a  live  fish 
would  not  increase  the  weight  of  a  pail  of  water,  when 
immersed  in  it,  but  that  the  "four-pounder,"  water  and 
all,  would  only  be  the  same  as  before  the  addition.  All 
their  arguments  were  of  little  avail  when  the  test  of  the 
balance  was  applied  ;  and  any  one  who  will  bring  trotting 
and  running  to  a  practical  test  will  be  satisfied  which  is 
the  most  arduous. 

It  is  very  probable  that  Dexter  could  run  in  2:18  1-5 
easier  than  he  trotted  in  that  time  ;  but  run  him  nearly  at 
his  best  speed  lor  the  same  distance,  and  I  will  warrant 
the  distress  will  be  more  apparent.  This  firstf  stage,  as  I 


FAT  FORMING  NECESSARY.      185 

remarked  previously,  is  a  required  probation,  to  enable 
the  succeeding  ones  to  be  endured  with  benefit. 

Air,  food,  exercise,  and  a  strict  attention  to  cleanliness, 
are  the  great  adjuncts  in  bringing  all  stages  to  a  successful 
termination.  "While  walking,  there  is  less  liability  to  get 
wrong,  in  comparison  with  the  stage  requiring  faster  work ; 
but  walking  can  be  prolonged  till  every  muscle  is  inert 
and  inelastic.  The  coal-heavers  or  heavy  porters  would 
need  a  good  deal  of  attention  and  time  to  bring  them  to  a 
point  to  show  a  speed  in  a  foot  race  they  naturally  possess. 
The  muscles,  though  capable  of  contracting  with  powerful 
effect,  take  time  to  do  it ;  and  though  strength  is  gained 
by  walking,  rapidity  of  action  is  lost.  As  all  parts  of  the 
body  are  nourished  and  sustained  by  food  and  drink,  it  is 
of  the  highest  moment  that  those  kinds  be  used  that  are 
not  only  nutritious,  but  of  the  quality  that  give  the  charac- 
teristics we  wish  to  develop.  If  fat  only  were  required,  the 
variety  of  food  containing  the  most  starch  and  sugar 
would  be  sought  for.  Fat  is  of  essential  service  to  a  horse 
when  commencing  training,  but  only  as  a  surplus  that 
cannot  be  built  up  into  muscle.  That  superabundance 
of  food  which  has  been  deposited  in  all  the  interstices  be- 
tween the  muscles,  coating,  and  internal  viscera,  loading  the 
lungs,  has  uses  which,  if  we  only  avail  ourselves  of,  will 
help  us  get  the  animal  into  condition.  While  we  dimi- 
nish this,  we  must  do  it  in  a  manner  that  will  leave  the 
muscles  fuller  and  more  pliable  than  they  possibly  could 
have  been  if  it  had  been  absent.  The  getting-rid  of  this 
fat  will  be  the  work  of  the  succeeding  stages  of  prepara- 
tion. In  the  preliminary  stage,  we  must  watch  that  it  is 
not  decreased,  as  that  would  denote  want  of  health,  or  an 
insufficiency  of  food  to  meet  the  wastes  of  the  system.  Al- 
most every  horse  or  colt  should  be  able  to  take  the  amount 
of  walking  exercise  yours  are  now  getting.  Some  fretful, 
irascible  ones,  that  would  rapidly  lose  flesh  from  worry- 


186  HORSE    POKTRAITUKE. 

ing,  dancing,  and  faming,  would  have  to  be  walked  bj 
themselves,  or  in  a  small  enclosure.  There  are  others 
with  legs  so  weak,  or  having  been  injured,  that  give  way 
from  very  little  walking.  If  known  to  possess  great  speed, 
I  would  train  such  animals  ;  otherwise  they  would  poorly 
pay  for  the  trouble.  The  most  powerful  auxiliary  to  aid 
us  in  treating  these  is  the  Roman  or  Turkish  bath.  With 
its  aid,  we  are  enabled  to  get  rid  of  superfluous  matter, 
and  can  train  horses  that  would  be  exceedingly  trouble- 
some by  any  other  method.  The  Turkish  bath,  however, 
is  rather  an  expensive  adjunct  to  a  training-stable  intend- 
ed for  the  preparation  of  trotters.  The  tight  room  could 
be  made,  by  taking  extra  pains  in  the  construction  of  a 
box  stall,  by  having  matched  double  partitions,  thus  leav- 
ing a  space  for  dead  air.  The  furnace,  and  pipes  for  con  • 
veying  the  heated  air,  would  he  expensive,  and  their  man 
agement  a  source  of  trouble.  If  we  train  horses  witb 
shaky  foundations,  some  other  method  will  have  to  be  de- 
vised to  keep  them  from  giving  way.  What  that  course 
will  be  can  only  be  determined  by  the  wants  of  the  patient, 
and  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  The  hot-air  bath,  the  vir- 
tues of  which  were  so  highly  extolled  a  few  years  ago,  has 
undoubtedly  been  the  means  of  bringing  horses  to  the 
post  fit  to  run  and  win,  that  could  not  have  stood  the  or- 
dinary preparation.  I  do  not  think  it  is  of  any  service  in 
horses  that  are  sound  and  strong.  I  never  look  for  it  to 
come  into  general  use,  and  in  a  trotting-stable,  there  would 
be  less  necessity  for  it  than  in  cases  where  a  speedy  unsound 
horse  was  wanted  to  merely  run  a  dash  of  a  mile  or  so,  the 
winning  of  which  would  ensure  a  good  deal  of  profit.  A 
more  proper  time  to  enter  into  the  discussion  of  this  ques- 
tion will  be  when  we  are  giving  the  horses  their  first  sweats. 
At  that  time  we  will  have  the  subject-matter  fairly  before 
us,  and  will  endeavor  to  examine  it  in  all  its  ramifications. 
PUPIL. — At  which  period  I  will  be  all  attention,  as  that 


DEIVI^a     OH     THE     EOAD.  187 

has  been  the  point  that  has  troubled  me  the  most.  Often, 
when  putting  the  sweaters  on  a  horse,  have  I  asked  my- 
self the  questions  :  What  are  you  going  to  accomplish  ? 
Have  you  not  carried  this  drain  on  the  system  far  enough  ? 
He  goes  the  distance  without  showing  undue  labor  of  the 
lungs.  It  is  true,  many  will  say,  he  is  not  "  drawn  fine 
enough ;"  but  do  not  his  performances  show  this  is  a 
mistake  ?  However,  I  will  not  trouble  you  with  questions 
now,  awaiting  the  time  when  I  can  see  the  advantages 
practically  exemplified.  I  am  aware — though  I  thank  you 
for  the  reminder — of  the  importance  of  this  preparatory 
stage,  and  shall  watch  closely  each  member  of  the  stable, 
to  see  that  his  appearance  merits  your  approbation  when 
you  return.  The  colts  I  can  be  driving,  and  hope,  when 
you  see  their  action,  that  you  will  be  as  favorably  im- 
pressed as  you  are  with  their  form. 

PEECEPTOB. — The  few  days'  walk  they  have  had,  since  the 
completion  of  their  long  journey  on  the  cars,  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  remove  the  soreness  incident  thereto  ;  and  they 
ought  to  learn  something  every  time  they  are  driven,  that 
will  bring  them  much  nearer  being  trotters.  So  it  is  best 
to  neglect  no  opportunity  of  tuition.  The  plan  I  would 
recommend  would  be  to  drive  them,  on  the  road,  to  a  skele- 
ton wagon,  and  when  you  come  to  a  smooth  piece  where  the 
grade  is  descending,  let  them  rattle  along  merrily,  striving 
to  keep  them  as  nearly  at  their  top  speed  as  they  can  go 
without  breaking.  If  you  fall  in  company  with  some  one 
who  is  willing  to  drive  along-side,  so  much  the  better  ;  but 
never  extend  the  brush  farther  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
They  may  be  anxious  to  go  along,  yet,  by  restraining  them, 
vou  will  keep  up  that  feeling  of  pleasure,  which  will  en- 
courage them  to  "try  again,"  and  at  a  better  rate  of 
speed.  King,  I  hope  to  find  more  amenable  than  at  pres- 
ent. He  has  been  quite  a  study  to  rae  ever  since  I  re- 
ceived so  unfavorable  an  impression  of  his  appearance? 


188  HOKSE     POKTEAITUKE. 

He  is  like  some  of  those  old  pictures, — tlie  work  of  a  maste! 
hand,  that  never  fairly  display  their  beauties  till  patient 
study  has  discovered  in  them  perfections  of  art,  that  ap- 
peared at  first  sight  a  mere  confused  mass  of  colors.  The 
colt  requires  the  same  study  in  order  to  bring  out  points 
of  speed  and  durability. 

I  will  now  bid  you  good-bye.  On  my  way  I  will  drop 
into  the  stable  to  give  the  Falcon  my  valediction.  In 
two  weeks  I  will  return,  and  he  will  be  the  first  horse  I 
shall  want  to  see  harnessed. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

FALCON  AND  NEVER  MIND  ON  THE  ROAD;     THE    COLTS    MAY    AND 
DELLE   ON  THE  TRACK. 

PUPIL. — "Well  pleased  am  I,  my  worthy  master,  to  see 
that  the  country  trip  has  been  of  such  great  benefit  to 
your  personal  appearance.  You  seem  quite  rejuvenated, 
and  look  as  if  the  ravages  of  time  for  at  least  the  last 
decade  of  years,  had  been  obliterated.  I  can  hardly  believe 
your  late  asseveration,  that  all  thoughts  of  matrimonial 
felicity  have  been  banished  from  your  mind,  and  think 
that  some  entrancing  enchantress  has  fascinated  you,  till 
the  return  of  youthful  feelings  has  been  accompanied  by 
the  resemblance  of  manhood's  prime.  You  would  be  set 
down  by  shrewd  observers  as  still  being  on  the  sunny  side 
of  forty,  and  I  only  know  one  feeling  that  can  work  such 
a  metamorphosis. 

PRECEPTOR. — Your  surmises  are  quite  wide  of  the  mark, 
though  there  are  sufficient  reasons  why  the  two  weeks' 
absence  from  the  "  sea-girt  shore  "  has  been  attended  with 
such  beneficial  results,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  my  looks 
do  not  belie  my  feelings.  I  feel  like  a  four-year-old  race 
horse,  and  walk  as  if  fifty  pounds  of  useless  flesh  had 
been  removed,  almost  enabling  me  to  rival  the  old  light- 
ness of  step  when  tag  and  base  ball  were  so  keenly 
relished. 

When  I  left  here,  I  took  the  boat  to  Piennont,  and 
thence  the  New  York  and  Erie  cars  to  the  pleasant  vil- 
lage which  my  old  friend  "Rex,"  of  Knickerbocker  fame 

9 


190  IIOESE    POETEAITUKE. 

has  enlivened  with  his  presence  for  so  many  years.  The 
scenery  along  the  line  I  will  not  try  to  describe,  as  you 
are  familiar  with  it,  and  will  agree  with  me  that  the  jour- 
ney is  well  worth  taking,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to 
enjoy  its  beauties.  I  was  conveyed  by  a  friend  the  ten 
miles  that  intervened  between  the  village  and  the  place 
of  my  final  destination.  This  was  the  first  time  I  had 
seen  the  spot  at  this  enchanting  season  of  the  year ;  and, 
much  as  I  had  admired  its  beauties  in  midsummer,  and 
the  grandeur  of  the  winter  display,  I  was  totally  unpre- 
pared for  the  marvelous  splendor  that  now  greeted  my 
eye.  Your  Mississippi  bluffs,  rolling  river,  floating  islands 
of  verdure,  towering  oaks,  and  fragrant  crab-apples,  may 
show  on  a  larger  scale,  and  your  seat  that  overlooks  the 
plateau  of  thousands  of  acres  of  billowy  grass  and  prairie 
flowers  may  be  very  fine  ;  but  for  quiet  beauty  and  har- 
mony of  detail,  there  is  no  place  that  will  equal  it  on  the 
Father  of  Waters  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Lake  of 
Itasca.  Imagine  a  little  lake — so  small,  indeed,  that  its 
length  hardly  rivals  the  width  of  your  majestic  stream — 
nestling  among  emerald  hills.  The  hill  in  the  background 
is  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  hemlock,  the  dark  green 
of  which  is  relieved  by  the  bright  hue  of  the  deciduous 
trees,  now  in  their  most  brilliant  garments,  while  tall 
pines  shoot  their  spires  from  the  summit  away  up  in  the 
blue  firmament.  The-  hill  to  the  right  is  carpeted  as 
thickly  with  grass  as  the  famed  pastures  you  have  de- 
scribed; groups  of  scattered  trees  breaking  the  uniformity, 
with  large  dark-colored  rocks  beetling  from  the  side  in 
bold  relief.  Large  flocks  of  sheep  are  grazing  on  the  sides 
of  the  hill,  the  lambs  playing  and  gamboling  as  if  every 
minute  of  their  existence  were  too  precious  to  be  lost.  To 
the  left,  the  hills  slope  gradually,  forming  a  little  valley 
through  which  the  outlet  runs.  Away  in  the  distance,  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  distinguish,  the  hills  swell  into  inagni- 


A     COUNTRY     VILLA.  191 

tude  enough  to  be  called  mountains,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
tell  where  land  and  sky  meets. 

Not  a  breath  of  air  ruffled  this  fairy  sheet  the  morning 
of  my  arrival ;  and  hills,  woods,  and  sky  were  reflected 
from  it,  as  faithfully  as  the  most  polished  mirror  gives 
back  the  form  that  stands  before  it.  The  few  fleecy,  snow- 
white  clouds  that  hung  motionless  away  in  the  zenith 
looked  just  as  distant  in  the  depths  of  the  water,  and 
almost  gave  you  the  sensation  of  being  above  the  clouds, 
looking  down  on  terrestrial  scenery. 

The  beach  is  white  sand,  almost  rivaling  the  snow  in 
fairness ;  its  contour  on  the  wooded  side  is  a  sweeping 
curve,  while  that  towards  you  is  broken  into  bays  and  in- 
lets. All  the  way  round  the  lake,  the  underwood  is  of 
dense  growth,  and  both  the  broad-leaved  and  common 
laurel  extend  quite  to  the  water's  edge.  I  cannot  picture 
the  bloom,  though  I  doubt  if  the  Yale  of  Cashmere  ever 
equaled  the  brilliant  display.  Large  crimson  masses  of 
flowers  in  gorgeous  profusion,  alternated  with  as  abun- 
dant blossoms  of  snowy  white,  so  heavy  that  they  fairly 
laden  the  twigs,  and  rest  on  the  silver  water.  At  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  where  the  cattle  and  sheep  are  grazing, — or 
rather  on  a  slight  eminence  this  side, — is  an  irregularly 
constructed  Italian  villa.  The  irregularity  of  the  structure 
makes  it  more  in  harmony  with  the  scene.  The  western 
wing  is  surmounted  with  a  dome  and  cupola.  To  the 
east,  the  building  is  not  so  high,  and  about  the  centre  is 
a  large  conservatory,  the  glare  of  the  glass  mellowed  by 
the  climbing  plants  inside.  On  the  very  eastern  extremity 
rise  two  square  turrets,  between  which  is  a  colossal  statue 
of  an  antlered  buck,  the  attitude  being  that  of  watch- 
ful rest.  Along  the  south  wall  of  the  building  is  a  sort 
of  battlement,  forming  supports  for  marble  statues,  repre- 
senting nearly  all  the  gods  of  Heathen  Mythology.  They 
were  sculptured  in  Italy,  having  been  captured  by  a  pri- 


192  HOBSE     POETBAITUKE. 

vateer  when  on  their  way  to  adorn  the  park  of  some  Eng- 
lish nobleman,  and  are  of  rare  workmanship.  The  lawn 
in  front  of  the  building  extends  to  the  coppice  that  makes 
such  an  appropriate  setting  to  the  pellucid  water.  A  car- 
riage-road is  cut  in  a  sinuous  form  through  the  turf  of 
the  lawn,  and  vases  and  statues  are  interspersed  beneath 
the  trees.  The  road  leads  to  a  summer-house  on  the 
bank  of  the  lake  :  the  house  is  ornamented  with  represen- 
tations of  fish  and  fruit  beautifully  carved.  Towards  the 
lake  there  is  a  ballustrade,  several  steps  leading  from  it 
to  the  water  ;  tiny  boats  are  moored  there,  the  white  sails 
hanging  listlessly  against  the  masts.  A  walk  leads  from 
this  summer-house  adown  the  bank,  the  laurel  meeting 
overhead,  and  forming  an  arch  of  wondrous  beauty.  Look- 
ing up,  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen  but  a  canopy  of  bril- 
liant colored  flowers,  intermingled  with  polished  dark- 
green  leaves.  The  walk  leads  to  the  point  of  land  that 
forms  the  bay  on  the  eastern  shore,  which  sweeps  round 
in  a  sharp  curve  to  the  left.  At  this  point  is  another 
ornamental  summer-house,  but  on  a  different  plan  from 
the  larger.  The  lower  part  of  it  is  hidden  from  the  house 
by  a  group  of  pines,  though  when  you  ascend  the  stairs  to 
the  upper  story  you  are  more  entranced  than  ever  with 
the  different  views  seen  from  that  point.  Every  inch  of 
the  lake  is  under  your  eye,  and  through  openings  in  the 
trees  detached  pictures — any  of  which,  if  truthfully  depic- 
ted, would  make  a  reputation  for  an  artist — are  visible. 
The  house  is  only  partially  in  view,  the  portion  seen  being 
that  which  makes  the  most  beautiful  background  to  the 
sylvan  picture.  The  section  of  the  lawn  seen  through  this 
vista  is  perfect  in  its  details, — trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  vases 
and  statuary,  all  being  in  the  very  best  places  for  effect. 
You  turn  to  another  opening  in  the  pines,  and  the  tur- 
rets, dome,  and  images  on  the  house  stand  in  bold  relief 
against  the  western  sky.  To  show  the  master's  hand  that 


SILVEB    LAKE.  193 

planned  all  this,  a  circular  group  of  Lombardy  poplars 
lose  their  stiffness  and  come  in  for  their  share  of  admi- 
ration, which  I  could  never  award  them  in  any  other 
situation.  In  the  rear  of  the  villa,  and  between  it  and 
the  public  road,  farm  buildings  and  offices  give  the 
place  stih1  more  the  look  of  repose,  beauty,  and  fitness, 
that  so  eminently  belongs  to  it.  But  if  I  try  to  describe 
all  the  beauties  of  this  cherished  spot,  you  will  still  think 
I  have  seen  some  apparition  that  has  made  me  romanti- 
cally crazy.  So  I  will  not  say  a  word  more  till  we  take  our 
accustomed  smoke  on  the  piazza  after  dinner,  when  I  will 
give  you  an  insight  into  the  pursuits  that  have  obliterated 
the  marks  of  years,  and  left  my  feelings  so  youthful.  So 
have  the  Falcon  harnessed, — he  must  have  had  his  morn- 
ing's walk  by  this  time, — and  I  am  very  anxious  to  see  how 
he  will  deport  himself. 

PUPIL. — The  boys  have  had  him  harnessed  for  some 
time.  The  wagon  has  been  run  out  from  the  shed,  await- 
ing your  orders.  I  shall  anxiously  look  for  the  continu- 
ation of  the  history  of  your  trip,  as  I  am  still  more  certain 
that  I  have  divined  the  right  cause.  Either  this  is  the 
case,  or  you  have  viewed  no  mortal  scene,  but  have  been 
transported  to  that  land  where  the  famous  Christian 
Knight  was  held  in  thrall  by  a  garland  of  flowers.  In  the 

place  of  the  Erie  Railroad,  and  the  wagon  from  B ,  did 

you  not  encounter  an  old  man  with  silver  hair  reaching 
to  his  girdle,  who  took  you  in  a  boat,  fashioned  Like  a  sea- 
shell,  which  drove  with  you  on  "  without  a  wave  or  wind  ?" 
Or,  did  you  meet  with  a  damsel — 

"  With  long,  rich  tresses  curling  'round  her  brow, 
And  garments  beauteous  as  the  bird  of  Ind, — 
She  through  the  ocean  swifter  than  the  wind, 
Or  wing  of  eagles,  did  direct  your  track." 

PEECEPTOK. — This  silver  lake  and  scenery,  far  beyond 
my  powers  of  description,  actually  exists,  and  is  no  more 


194  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

of  a  myth  than  your  Iowa  farm.  We  will  have  no  more 
talk  on  the  subject,  however,  till  the  time  appointed.  How 
gently  Falcon  consents  to  be  harnessed  and  hitched  to 
the  wagon !  From  his  extreme  nervousness  I  supposed 
he  would  not  be  so  docile  at  first. 

PUPIL. — Six  months  have  elapsed  since  the  harness  was 
on  him  ;  and  to  give  you  further  proof  of  his  natural  do- 
cility, I  will  be  much  gratified  if  you  will  get  into  the 
wagon  and  give  him  his  first  drive. 

PRECEPTOR. — To  that  I  have  no  objections,  though  I 
shall  insist  on  your  being  the  reinsman  in  future,  unless 
I  want  to  know  from  actual  trial  how  a  horse  handles. 
"Whoa !  my  boy,  a  little  more  to  the  right.  These  skeletons 
are  not  the  handiest  things  in  the  world  to  get  in.  Now, 
sir,  you  can  go  along  at  your  leisure. 

PUPIL. — I  need  not  ask  how  you  like  him,  as  I  see  satis- 
faction in  every  line  of  your  countenance, — though  that 
may  be  attributed  to  the  recollections  of  your  late  visit. 

PRECEPTOR. — Like  is  hardly  a  strong  enough  expression 
to  convey  an  idea  of  the  pleasure  there  is  in  driving  such 
a  horse  as  this.  He  has  the  form  of  my  model  roadster, 
as  well  as  every  other  quality  that  could  be  shown  in  so 
short  a  drive,  though  I  have  done  one  thing  I  should  have 
scolded  you  for  doing.  Jogging  down  the  road  for  a  few 
miles  about  a  six-minute  gait,  from  which  he  never  varied, 
going  along  as  true  as  a  first-class  piece  of  machinery,  I 
came  to  a  place  that  was  as  smooth  as  a  well-kept  track. 
I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  see  if  his  motion  was 
equally  precise  when  going  faster.  I  never  saw  so  true 
a  mover  ;  he  appeared  only  to  be  gliding  along  ;  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  buzz  of  the  wheels  through  the  air,  I 
should  have  greatly  underrated  the  speed  we  were  going. 
He  missed  not  a  step,  and  was  as  obedient  to  the  slightest 
touch  of  the  reins  as  the  best  family  horse  that  could  be 
found.  I  will  venture  what  little  reputation  I  have,  on 


FALCON     ON     THE     EOAD.  195 

making  n  Number  One  trotter  of  him.  There  is  nothing  to 
direct  about  his  management  at  present.  You  can  gauge 
him  to  any  gait  you  wish,  and  the  next  two  weeks  we  will 
give  him  ten  or  twelve  miles  a  day,  at  the  rate  of  about  a 
mile  in  five  minutes  ;  towards  the  last  of  that  time,  mov- 
ing him  somewhat  faster. 

PUPIL. — When  he  is  driven  on  the  track,  I  am  afraid  he 
will  change  your  opinion,  giving  further  proof  of  the  effect 
of  bad  management  in  the  first  part  of  a  horse's  education. 
The  road,  to  him,  has  been  a  pleasant  interlude  to  the  tor- 
tures of  the  course,  and  all  his  remembrances  connected 
with  it  are  of  a  pleasant  character.  There  he  has  been 
treated  with  uniform  kindness,  and  when  he  has  been 
allowed  to  extend  himself  in  a  little  burst  of  speed,  it  has 
been  done  without  pulling  at  him  ;  or,  if  he  happened  to 
leave  his  feet,  there  was  no  jerking  or  sawing,  allowing 
him  to  recover  as  suited  his  own  humor.  Of  the  track,  his 
recollections  are  not  so  pleasant ;  pulling,  snatching,  and 
fighting  are  his  most  vivid  reminiscences  of  that  period. 

PRECEPTOR. — For  that  very  reason  we  will  confine  him 
to  working  on  the  track,  and  will  only  vary  it  with  road 
work  when  the  course  is  too  muddy  to  use.  I  know  he 
will  jog  there  as  kindly  as  on  the  road;  and  by  letting  him 
time  the  short  brushes  to  suit  his  own  notions,  we  will  get 
him  to  reconsider  the  verdict  that  pronounces  the  track  a 
place  especially  invented  for  the  torture  of  horses.  I  now 
want  to  see  Never  Mind  in  the  shafts;  and  in  order  to  give 
him  as  fair  a  chance  to  make  a  true  impression  as  the 
Falcon,  will  also  drive  him. 

PUPIL. — He  also  has  not  been  harnessed  in  several 
months;  and  before  you  get  behind  him,  I  want  to  observe 
that  he  never  has  been  much  used  on  the  road.  I  tell 
you  this,  so  that  you  will  not  be  prejudiced  against  him. 
He  is  not  a  good  road  horse,  and  goes  stumbling  along  at 
a  road  gait  that  is  very  provoking.  When  on  the  track 


196  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

at  full  speed,  lie  makes  a  fine  appearance,  carrying  his 
head  high,  and  going  in  grand  style  every  way. 

PKECEPTOK. — I  perceive  you  are  afraid  I  will  get  a  poor 
opinion  of  the  horse,  with  his  queer  name.  You  promised 
me  the  reason  for  thus  calling  him,  and  I  have  had  it  on 
the  tip  of  my  tongue  to  ask  you  to  gratify  my  curiosity. 
You  need  not  fear,  however,  that  I  will  condemn  him 
without  a  fair  trial.  I  do  not  look  for  first-class  trotters 
to  be  necessarily  of  the  same  excellence  on  the  road. 
Many  of  the  best  are  not  pleasant  to  drive  there, — most 
of  them  for  want  of  practice,  and  others  from  being  badly 
driven. 

PUPIL. — When  you  finish  your  description  of  your  recent 
trip,  I  will  recount  why  this  fellow  was  called  Never  Mind. 
Before  he  is  hitched  to  the  wagon,  I  must  acquaint  you  with 
another  bad  trick  he  has,  though  luckily  he  has  not  had 
frequent  opportunity  to  practice  it.  When  harnessed,  if 
not  allowed  to  start  right  off,  he  will  rush  back  at  a  tre- 
mendous gait,  and  it  is  astonishing  how  fast  he  can  per- 
form this  crawfish  movement.  If  the  wagon  or  sulky  hits 
anything,  he  is  sure  to  break  it  or  the  harness.  When  I 
had  him  at  home,  the  inside  of  the  track  was  planted  in 
corn.  At  the  time  I  speak  of,  it  was  just  high  enough  to 
commence  tasseling, — say  six  or  seven  feet.  In  making  his 
retrograde  rush,  he  backed  the  sulky  into  the  corn.  The 
slight  resistance  led  him  to  think  he  could  break  it,  and 
back  he  threw  his  whole  weight  in  the  breeching.  Hear- 
ing nothing  but  the  crushing  of  the  corn,  and  not  the 
crash  he  expected,  he  kept  backing  at  a  "right  lively  gait" 
and  never  stopped  till  the  entire  field  was  traversed,  nearly 
three  hundred  yards.  As  the  sulky  struck  the  back-stretch- 
and  there  was  no  longer  any  resistance  from  the  standing 
corn,  he  was  "fairly  nonplussed;  and  stopping  a  moment,  as 
if  cogitating  on  the  probable  reason  why  the  sulky  was 
not  broken,  he  swung  round,  and  jogged  off  as  if  nothing 


THE  MAKE  THAT  WOULD  NOT  STA^D.  197 

unusual  had  taken  place.  We  had  no  more  trouble  with 
him  the  r^st  of  the  season.  I  do  not  think  he  will  make 
the  attempt  now,  as  by  never  punishing  him,  or  trying  to 
force  him  forward,  always  hitching  him  where  he  could 
Jiave  leeway,  and  trying  to  attract  his  attention  till  every- 
thing is  ready  for  him  to  go,  he  has  nearly  forgotten  it. 
In  connection  with  this,  and  brought  to  my  remembrance 
by  recounting  Never  Mind's  memorable  backing-out 
scrape,  I  will  relate  a  circumstance  something  analogous. 
A  neighbor  of  mine  had  a  bay  mare  that  would  match 
one  of  mine.  Both  were  good  steppers,  and  I  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  trading  for  her.  On  the  completion  of  the  deal, 
he  told  me  that  the  mare  had  only  one  failing,  which  was, 
that  she  would  not  stand  when  a  person  was  getting  into 
the  wagon.  I  told  him  that  was  annoying,  but  I  had 
cured  several  of  the  same  habit.  The  next  clay  I  harnessed 
her  to  a  road  sulky,  and  drove  eight  miles  and  back.  The 
trip  was  made  satisfactorily.  The  day  following,  a  friend 
was  to  accompany  me  a  few  miles  to  see  a  quarter  race. 
We  put  the  mare  to  a  top  wagon  by  the  side  of  a  steady 
old  trotter  ;  I  threw  the  top  back,  the  mare  standing  very 
quietly,  though  as  soon  as  I  took  up  the  reins,  she  wanted 
to  start.  I  said  whoa,  very  gently,  and  accompanied  the 
command  with  a  slight  pull.  Down  she  dropped,  as 
though  she  had  been  struck  on  the  head  with  an  axe, 
lying  quietly,  and  apparently  comfortably  to  herself.  I 
could  not  help  laughing,  provoking  as  the  situation  was. 
My  friend  did  not  see  the  reason  for  being  amused,  telling 
me  he  would  give  her  a  good  thrashing  in  place  of  laugh- 
ing at  her.  I  told  him  I  was  not  laughing  at  the  mare, 
but  at  my  own  ignorance.  The  man  I  got  her  of  told  me 
literally  what  she  would  do,  and  I  had  not  sense  enough 
to  understand  him.  I  supposed  she  would  rear  and  fret 
when  restrained  from  starting  ;  it  never  coming  into  my 
head  that  she  would  drop  down,  and  lie  perfectly  quiet. 

9* 


198  HOUSE     POETEAITUKE. 

We  unhitched  her  from  the  wagon ;  and  from  the  sullen 
way  she  laid,  it  was  apparent  she  expected  a  beating,  and 
was  going  to  endure  it  like  a  stoic.  She  never  offered  to 
rise  while  we  were  divesting  her  of  the  harness,  and  I  made 
up  my  mind  what  to  do  before  the  last  strap  was  unbuck- 
led. Old  Quaker,  her  companion,  looked  on  surprised. 
We  had  broken  many  a  colt  by  his  side,  yet  this  was  some- 
thing new  to  him,  as  his  looks  plainly  showed.  We 
strapped  both  the  mare's  fore  legs  up,  fastening  the  pas- 
tern to  the  arm,  brought  both  hind  legs  up  against  her 
belly,  securing  them  there  so  they  could  not  be  moved  in 
the  least,  put  a  strong  bridle  on,  the  bit  having  long  check 
pieces,  drawing  her  head  up  and  on  one  side,  where  that 
was  also  fastened.  A  bundle  of  straw  was  put  under  her 
head  so  that  it  would  be  supported  without  pulling  on  the 
rein.  When  all  was  completed  she  could  not  move  an 
inch,  though  she  never  made  the  attempt.  We  put  an- 
other horse  in  by  the  side  of  Quaker,  leaving  strict  orders 
for  no  one  to  go  near  her,  and  went  on  our  way  to  the 
quarter  race.  Four  hours  elapsed  before  we  returned. 
The  straps  were  removed,  and  she  was  bid  to  arise.  She 
did  not  need  a  second  invitation,  looking  very  foolish 
when  she  regained  her  legs.  This  was  the  most  cruel 
operation  I  ever  subjected  a  horse  to  ;  but  in  her  case  it 
was  effectual.  I  kept  her  some  time,  and  she  never 
showed  any  desire  to  repeat  the  trick.  She  afterwards 
went  to  New  Orleans  trotting  in  forty,  acquiring  a  good 
deal  of  celebrity  as  a  safe  and  reliable  road  mare. 

PKECEPTOE. — That  was  rather  severe,  yet  not  so  bad  as 
beating  her  as  severely  as  some  would  have  done.  I 
should  have  misunderstood  her  case,  too,  and  would  have 
been  bothered  to  know  how  to  cure  a  trick  of  that  de- 
scription. Horses  frequently  throw  themselves;  this  mare, 
as  I  understand  the  case,  was  not  so  violent,  and  the  stoli- 
dity she  displayed  showed  a  stubbornness  that  would  have 


NEVERMIND     AND     JANE.  199 

been  liard  to  conquer  in  any  other  way.  The  account  you 
give  of  Never  Mind's  propensity  is  not  very  nattering  to 
his  breaker,  and  I  hope  we  will  not  be  compelled  to  devise 
any  other  treatment  than  that  you  have  pursued.  The 
boys  had  better  not  put  up  his  check  till  after  I  get  in  the 
wagon.  Don't  hold  his  head  to  awaken  his  suspicion  that 
we  are  expecting  him  to  do  something  wrong.  Now  I  am 
ready.  That  start  is  certainly  quiet  enough. 

PUPIL. — Your  drive  this  time  has  been  of  longer  dura- 
tion. I  presume  you  have  gone  over  the  same  ground  au 
you  did  with  the  Falcon. 

PKECEPTOK. — I  made  the  same  trip,  but  jogged  slower, 
and  did  not  require  him  to  show  anything  faster  than  a 
very  moderate  gait.  He  jogs  like  a  fox  trotting,  and  for 
anything  I  have  seen  is  worthy  of  more  commendation 
than  I  was  led  to  infer  from  your  remarks.  When  I 
turned  him  around,  he  was  in  something  of  a  hurry  to  get 
back,  yet  was  very  bidable,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  drive. 
He  will  be  the  first  one  we  will  scrape,  being  fatter,  and 
requiring  longer  time  to  rid  him  of  his  superfluities.  Jane, 
we  will  not  drive  till  to-morrow.  I  promised  to  rig  her  so 
she  could  be  jogged  without  requiring  any  very  great  out- 
lay of  strength  to  restrain  her.  The  plan  we  will  adopt 
will  be  to  keep  her  walking  till  she  is  harnessed,  starting 
her  the  reverse  way  of  the  track,  using  a  chain  bit ;  and 
whenever  she  goes  faster  than  wanted,  bring  her  to  a  full 
stop.  It  will  require  some  patience  for  her  to  learn  to  go 
slow,  though  it  is  of  the  first  importance  she  should  be 
taught.  After  a  couple  of  months'  steady  work  I  have  no 
doubt  she  will  be  all  we  can  ask  for  in  that  respect.  The 
colts  we  will  work  in  the  track,  so  that  I  can  watch  their 
action.  Clipper,  I  am  glad  to  see,  has  improved  wonder- 
fully. He  looks  as  though  he  had  also  made  a  trip  into 
the  country.  King,  too,  has  "come  out  of  the  ashes," 
and  is  not  only  looking  better,  having  nearly  got  rid  of 


200  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

his  long  coat,  but  his  prominent  eye  has  a  calmer  look.  I 
have  missed  seeing  the  mode  of  operation  that  has  thus 
transformed  him,  and  will,  have  to  be  contented  to  hear 
how  so  much  has  been  accomplished. 

PUPIL. — I  have  worked  with  him  every  spare  moment 
since  you  have  been  gone,  and  now  think  there  will  be  no 
further  trouble  in  either  handling  or  driving  him.  It  has 
resulted,  as  I  expected,  in  one  way.  He  will  now  grow  and 
thrive,  and  I  venture  to  say  his  most  intimate  acquaintance 
will  fail  to  know  him  three  months  from  now.  The  jour- 
ney down  partially  tamed  him,  so  that  he  would  stand 
while  a  surcingle  was  laid  across  his  back.  After  due  cau- 
tion, I  got  a  roller  buckled  on  him  that  had  a  billet  and 
buckle  to  fasten  the  check-rein  to'.  A  blind  bridle,  with 
a  long  pair  of  driving  reins,  just  as  I  have  described  in 
breaking  the  colts  on  the  breeding-farm,  was  used.  "When 
first  brought,  out  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of  taking  the 
precedence,  but  wanted  to  be  where  he  could  watch  every 
one  that  was  around  him  ;  so  another  rein  was  put  on,  one 
of  the  boys  going  before  to  lead  him,  while  I  took  the 
reins  and  let  him  feel  a  very  slight  pressure  on  the  bit. 
The  blinds  preventing  him  seeing  in  the  rear,  he  soon 
learned  to  heed  the  suggestions  of  the  bit,  and  would  go 
wherever  directed.  I  will  venture  to  say  I  have  walked 
miles  enough  behind  him  in  the  last  two  weeks  to  carry  me 
to  the  spot  -where  the  Erie  road  and  spring  wagon  took 
you  so  much  more  easily.  In  a  few  days  we  were  able  to 
partially  clean  him,  the  good  effects  of  which  are  so  plainly 
visible.  As  he  will  now  suffer  himself  to  be  held  by  the 
bit,  wear  the  whole  harness,  and  allow  the  crupper  to  be 
put  on,  I  shall  have  no  hesitation  in  placing  him  in  the 
shafts  of  the  breaking-sulky,  taking  every  precaution,  of 
course,  that  we  can  to  prevent  injury  to  himself  or  the  ve- 
hicle. The  other  colts  I  have  driven  regularly,  either  on 
the  road  or  track,  and  as  the  weather  has  continued  so 


BENEFITS     OF     GRAZING.  201 

fine,  have  worked  them  more  on  the  track  than  you  re- 
commended, it  being  more  convenient  and  occupying  less 
time  than  when  going  on  the  road.  None  of  them  have 
given  me  any  trouble,  all  eating  and  drinking  heartily.  I 
increased  their  feed  a  little,  and  have  also  added  an  ear 
of  corn  to  their  evening  meal.  Clipper  has  had  a  run 
every  day  to  get  quite  a  bite  of  grass,  and  the  others  have 
been  allowed  to  graze  a  little  twice  a  week. 

PEECEPTOE. — A  very  good  idea,  which  I  like  better  than 
giving  so  many  bran  mashes.  Both  keep  the  bowels 
open ;  the  bran  irritating  the  mucous  membrane  of  the 
stomach,  causing  a  greater  flow  of  the  gastric  juices,  while 
the  grass  effects  the  same  object  in  a  milder  manner. 
English  trainers  lay  great  stress  on  keeping  their  horses 
full  of  "good  hard  meat,"  which  probably  in  their  climate 
is  essential  to  bring  them  into  proper  condition.  That 
they  understand  the  art  is  undeniable,  as  the  appearance 
and  performances  of  their  horses  prove.  Our  hotter  and 
drier  climate  requires  changes.  Nearly  all  of  our  trainers 
practice  giving  at  intervals  small  quantities  of  succulent 
food  ;  grass  and  green  corn  blades  being  in  general  use. 
Van  Leer,  who  trained  Peytona,  Liatunah,  Saartain,  &c., 
practiced  taking  his  horses  out  of  the  stable  at  unseason- 
able hours — often  in  the  night — to  graze.  He  was  suc- 
cessful, the  benefit  of  the  grass  being  greater  than  the  ills 
resulting  from  breaking  in  on  their  rest.  The  question 
of  green  food,  mashes,  etc.,  we  will  talk  about  when  we 
have  more  time.  The  morning  is  wearing  away.  Get 
your  colts  out,  and  let  me  see  them  move. 

PUPIL. — We  will  commence  with  the  oldest, — the  same  as 
in  my  younger  days,  when  the  sulphur  and  treacle  were 
dosed  out  in  the  spring,  and  all  the  children,  comprising 
a  large  family,  were  placed  in  a  row,  none  escaping  their 
share  of  the  compound.  I  will  jog  May  twice  around;  and 
let  her  step  up  and  down  the  stretch  at  her  best  gait.  I 


202  HOESE     POETEAITUEE. 

want  you  to  see  her  move  both  ways  of  the  track,  and  how 
she  changes  her  feet  when  she  gets  round  the  curve,  and 
has  straight  work  before  her. 

PKECEPTOR. — She  has  a  singular  movement  indeed.  Part 
of  the  time  her  gait  could  not  be  bettered,  which  is  espe- 
cially the  case  when  she  trots  fast  down  the  stretch.  She 
has  more  speed  than  I  looked  for,  and  showed  at  least  a 
thirty-five  gait.  We  must  discover  the  cause  why  she 
does  not  keep  that  stroke  up,  and  when  once  found,  can 
devise  some  remedy.  She  has  not  cut  herself  anywhere, 
and  we  cannot  have  that  guide  to  direct  us,  though,  in  all 
probability,  fear  of  doing  so  is  what  induces  her  to  change. 
If  all  your  thoroughbreds  had  such  knee-action  as  she 
has,  you  might  well  look  for  them  to  make  trotters. 
Perfection  of  form  in  a  horse  is  rarely  to  be  found ;  and 
we  often  hear  the  remark  made,  "I  do  not  care  how  he 
looks,  if  he  can  only  go  fast  enough."  A  few  crooked, 
ill-shaped  brutes  go  fast,  though  very  seldom  it  is  that 
they  both  can  go  and  stay.  This  mare  exemplifies  the 
necessity  there  is  for  shape  as  well  as  blood.  Her  fore- 
hand is  superb;  nor  do  I  see  a  place  you  could  change  her 
configuration,  till  you  come  back  to  her  loin.  Hence,  the 
action  of  her  fore  legs  and  the  carriage  of  her  head,  is 
admirable.  The  ragged  hip  and  sloping  quarters,  though 
offensive  to  the  eye,  are  not  detrimental  to  speed.  She  is 
wide  across  the  stifles,  and  they  are  low  enough  to  insure 
a  free  motion  of  the  joint.  The  hock  is  wide  and  strong, 
and  the  muscles  of  the  thigh  and  gaskin  are  all  that  could 
be  desired.  The  hocks,  however,  have  a  wrong  set ;  they 
stand  too  close  together,  while  the  feet  are  thrown  quite 
a  distance  apart,  the  toes  very  much  turned  out.  The 
consequence  is,  that,  when  going  around  a  turn,  she  cannot 
avoid  hitting  herself  with  the  fore  foot.  To  remedy  this, 
she  throws  her  quarters  around,  placing  the  off  hind  foot 
between  the  front  ones,  and  loses  the  length  of  stride  she 


MAY'S     ACTION     WITH     II EE     FEET.       203 

has  when  going  straight.  We  will  try  what  a  change  of 
shoes  will  do  for  her,  having  those  for  her  hind  feet  con- 
siderably heavier  than  the  ones  she  now  wears,  hoping  the 
higher  action  they  will  cause,  will  in  her  case  result  bene- 
ficially. When  these  are  put  on,  we  will  have  to  watch 
her  action  very  carefully ;  and  if  that  does  not  effect  a 
cure,  boots  will  have  to  be  resorted  to.  As  I  have  already 
told  you,  I  do  not  like  to  use  boots  when  they  can  be  got 
along  without ;  they  cramp  a  horse  when  going  fast,  and 
much  care  is  required  in  their  construction  to  prevent 
them  chafing  the  skin.  Unfortunately,  there  are  cases 
when  they  cannot  be  dispensed  with,  and  many  that  re- 
quire a  great  deal  of  ingenuity  to  fit  them  properly  to  the 
place  intended  to  be  covered.  Cutting  between  the  coronet 
and  upper  pastern  joint  is  very  bad ;  that  place  being  so 
difficult  to  protect  with  a  boot,  the  motion  of  the  joint, 
united  to  the  tenderness  of  the  skin,  causing  abrasion  al- 
most sure  to  follow.  I  think  a  very  light  buck-skin  roller, 
made  large,  and  stuffed  with  deer-hair,  will  also  be  of  ad- 
vantage. The  wound — when  she  cuts  on  the  place  you 
mentioned — is  probably  made  with  the  inner  edge  of  the 
shoe  on  the  near  fore  foot;  and  as  an  additional  protection, 
we  will  have  that  part  of  the  shoe  rounded,  and  set  a  little 
inside  the  crust.  You  tell  me  she  never  cuts  when  driven 
on  the  road;  and  I  noticed,  when  coining  towards  me,  that 
her  motion  was  regular.  She  necessarily  must  do  the 
damage,  then,  when  going  round  the  turn  ;  and  by  using 
the  heavier  shoe  she  may  be  enabled  to  go  clear.  Ask  any 
horseman  how  a  horse  moves  his  legs  in  the  trot,  and  the 
ready  answer  will  be,  that  the  left  fore  foot  and  right  hind 
one  move  simultaneously,  and  when  they  strike  the  ground 
the  others  are  elevated,  carrying  the  body  along.  This  is 
very  true  when  the  pace  is  slow ;  when  it  becomes  fast, 
and  a  horse  is  stretching  from  sixteen  to  twenty  feet,  there 
must  be  a  bound  similar  to  the  running  horse,  as  no  horse 


20i  HOESE     PORTEAITUBE. 

can  possibly  have  that  immense  stride  otherwise.  It  is 
apparent,  then,  that  all  the  feet  must  be  off  the  ground  at 
the  same  time.  I  have  often  watched  to  see  if  I  could 
determine  whether  the  feet  passed  each  other  when  off  or 
on  the  ground.  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  latter  position 
is  correct,  though  I  cannot  say  positively.  In  a  gallop, 
each  foot  strikes  the  ground  in  rotation,  followed  by  a 
bound.  The  sound  a  running  horse  makes  can  be  imita- 
ted very  accurately  by  placing  the  hand  on  a  table,  striking 
first  with  the  little  finger,  and  at  equal  intervals  with  the 
others,  dwelling  a  little  after  the  fore  finger  has  been 
brought  down,  which  answers  to  the  spring  that  marks 
the  duration  of  each  stride.  The  hind  legs,  in  galloping, 
must  be  thrown  forward  when  the  body  is  in  the  air, 
touching  the  ground  very  nearly  as  soon  as  the  fore  ones, 
and,  at  the  moment  of  contact,  being  in  a  proper  position 
to  propel  the  animal  along.  Horses  sometimes,  when  run- 
ning, cut  themselves  on  the  inside  of  the  hock,  frequently 
between  that  and  the  pastern.  This  is  termed  speedy  cut, 
as  it  is  evident  that  a  horse  must  be  making  violent  efforts 
when  the  hind  legs  are  thrown  so  much  in  advance  of  the 
front  feet.  Should  May  cut,  as  I  suppose  she  does,  thrust- 
ing the  hind  foot  between  the  fore  feet  and  partially  under 
the  near  one,  it  will  show  that  the  legs  are  not  moved  at 
the  same  instant ;  and  if  we  make  the  stroke  of  the  pro- 
pelling limb  from  a  higher  curve,  she  will  either  avoid 
having  it  wounded,  or  the  injury  will  be  in  a  different 
place,  where  I  hope  it  will  be  easier  protected. 

PUPIL. — I  think  your  surmises  are  correct  as  to  the 
cause  of  the  injury.  When  experimenting  with  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  boots  which  I  have  tried  on  her,  I  daubed 
her  pastern  with  white  paint,  thinking  it  would  show  the 
place  that  gave  the  blow  by  adhering  to  it.  The  paint,  I 
found,  would  be  rubbed  off  without  staining  any  place  I 
could  discover,  which  of  course,  would  be  the  case  if  \i 


MAYONTHEEOAD.  205 

was  done  with  the  ground  surface  of  the  shoe.  I  have 
blamed  the  short  turns  of  a  half-mile  track — where  she 
has  received  what  little  trotting-education  she  has  had — 
for  doing  the  misdhief.  The  faulty  set  of  the  hocks  "may 
have  increased  the  evil,  yet  it  is  certain,  that,  when  driven 
fast  on  the  road,  she  never  sidles  or  brushes  a  hair.  I  feel 
positive  that  if  this  difficulty  can  be  overcome,  she  will 
make  a  very  fast  trotter. 

PRECEPTOR. — We  must  not  ascribe  all  to  the  track.  Fast 
horses,  and  those  with  perfect  action,  have  been  in  the 
same  situation,  never  having  seen  anything  but  a  half- 
mile  course,  where  they  received  their  whole  train- 
ing. The  two  united  have  operated  badly  in  May's  case, 
and  let  us  hope,  that,  having  now  a  full  mile,  with  easy 
turns,  we  can  shape  her  into  the  fast  trotter  you  fancy  her 
capable  of  making. 

PUPIL. — I  will  now  drive  Delle,  and  will  have  to  jog  her 
rather  longer  than  May  before  I  can  show  you  her  true 
manner  of  going.  When  I  purchased  her,  at  three  years 
old,  the  man  who  bred  her  had  irritated  her  so  much, 
that  it  was  quite  unsafe  to  attempt  harnessing  her  in  the 
stable.  When  she  saw  any  one  approaching  her  with  the 
harness,  she  would  rear  as  high  as  the  halter  rein  would 
permit,  flying  about  the  stall  perfectly  frantic.  By  taking 
her  out  doors,  she  permitted  the  harness  to  be  put  on  with 
very  little  trepidation,  and  in  two  weeks  the  uniform 
kindness  she  met  with  eradicated  the  nervousness  acquired 
from  the  attempted  coercion  by  her  owner.  I  now  direct 
the  boys  to  harness  her  some*  little  time  before  she  is  re- 
quired to  come  out,  and  I  think  the  wearing  of  the  har- 
ness in.  the  stall  has  had  some  effect  in  tranquilizing  her. 

PRECEPTOR. — She  moves  beautifully,  and  has  a  great 
deal  of  speed  for  a  colt  that  has  not  had  much  handling. 
I  can  discover  no  peculiarity  in  her  gait  that  requires 
modification.  She  will  make  a  trotter  almost  of  her  own 


206  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

accord,  the  only  thing  being  to  keep  her  in  bounds,  and 
teach  her  not  to  rush  off  her  feet  in  endeavoring  to  go 
faster  than  she  can.  She  does  not  touch  anywhere,  prov- 
ing that  a  horse  can  be  driven  on  a  short  turn  without 
necessarily  spoiling  him, — though  I  heartily  agree  with  you 
that  a  half-mile  track  ought  never  to  be  built,  especially 
where  we  expect  to  teach  colts  to  trot.  The  morning  is 
now  too  far  advanced  to  see  Oriole  and  Mavourneen 
move.  We  will  wend  our  way  dinner-ward,  and  after 
partaking  of  this  important  meal,  I  will  recount  how  I 
spent  my  time  while  in  the  country. 

PUPIL. — I  have  fancied  that  Delle  went  too  low,  and 
thought  that  perhaps  heavier  shoes  than  she  has  been  ac- 
customed to  wear  might  be  of  benefit.  When  there  is  dust 
on  the  track,  she  will  leave  the  mark  of  her  hind  toe  for 
quite  a  distance  after  she  picks  the  foot  up. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  noticed  she  did  that,  though  not  when  at 
full  speed.  The  ease  and  grace  of  movement  she  displays, 
suits  me  exactly ;  she  would  almost  carry  a  tumbler  of 
water  on  her  loins  without  spilling  it.  She  is  so  symme- 
trically formed,  that  her  body  is  carried  along  level,  with- 
out any  perceptible  motion.  The  legs  and  feet  do  all  the 
work.  Count  D'Orsay  said  that  a  gentleman  should  never 
dance  higher  than  his  loins  ;  and  a  horse  that  either  gal- 
lops or  trots  without  bodily  contortion,  certainly  does  the 
work  easier,  and  ought  to  go  faster. 


CHAPTEK  XY. 

JOURNEY  TO  THE  COUNTRY — MB.  P.  AND  HIS  DAUGHTERS 

PRECEPTOR. — As  I  look  back  at  the  time  spent  in  the 
country,  so  devoid  of  excitement,  I  can  hardly  hope  to 
interest  you  by  detailing  the  incidents  of  my  trip.  Simple 
pleasures  and  pastimes  become  dull  when  rehearsed  ;  and 
I  rather  fancy  you  will  be  disappointed  in  the  recital, 
wondering  at  the  simplicity  of  my  taste,  that  could  find 
so  much  to  enjoy  in  a  quiet  daily  routine.  But  the  repose 
attending  a  short  residence  in  the  country  is  delicious 
to  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to  a  life  of  excitement. 
Long  continued,  its  enervating  influence  might  induce 
ennui, — a  fearful  infliction,  so  I  should  judge  by  the  de- 
scription of  those  who  have  suffered  from  it.  Thank  Pro- 
vidence, my  life  has  been  too  active  ever  to  become  ac- 
quainted v/ith  the  countenance  of  this  dreaded  demon. 
But  this  feeling  of  repose  can  only  be  appreciated  by 
those  who  have  lived  long  enough  to  fully  understand 
the  art  of  living.  To  throw  your  fishing-rod  aside,  and  lie 
down  on  the  mossy  bank  of  the  woodlawn  stream,  and 
there,  while  peering  through  the  openings  in  the  thick 
foliage,  and  watching  the  light  clouds  high  up  in  the  blue 
firmament,  the  liquid  murmur  of  the  water  and  the  sough 
of  the  gentle  breeze  in  the  branches  will  lull  without  tir- 
ing, for  they  are  not  a  monotone,  but  varied  as  the  breath- 
ings of  the  seolian  harp,  and  more  silvery  in  their  tones. 


208  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

To  one  whose  frame  has  been  racked  with  pain,  the  nerves 
vibrating  with  a  metallic  harshness,  until  the  opiate  so 
magically  changes  the  feelings,  and  the  bed  of  suffering  is 
turned  to  the  couch  of  the  sybarite,  without  a  crumpled 
rose-leaf  to  mar  its  luxuriousness, — to  such  a  one  I  could 
oner  a  metaphor  or  two  that  would  portray  my  feelings. 
It  is  as  when  the  child  sinks  on  its  mother's  breast  to 
slumber,  smiling  at  the  rustling  of  the  angel's  wing  that 
is  to  watch  it  through  life,  and  is  whispering  bright  words 
describing  the  beauties  of  their  joint  home  in  Paradise  ; 
or  as,  when  the  strong  swimmer,  vainly  wrestling  in  his 
agony,  till  the  limit  of  human  endurance  is  reached,  sinks 
under  the  gurgling  wave,  down,  down,  without  pain,  the 
music  of  the  sirens  in  his  ears,  and  he  floats  in  choral 
depths  fully  realizing  that  he  is  at  last  at  rest ;  or  as,  when 
the  good  Christian  throws  off  the  armor  in  which  he  has 
battled,  and  sees  the  golden  gates  open,  and  the  glory 
that  surrounds  the  awful  throne  making  his  final  pathway 
bright,  thronged  with  the  loved  and  lost  that  have  pre- 
ceded him  o'er  the  "  silent  river,"  and  the  ties  that  bound 
mm  to  this  beautiful  world  become  as  the  glossy  filaments 
tnat  sparkle  on  the  dewy  meadow  in  the  morning  sun- 
beams. 

The  friend  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  pleasure  of 
my  visits — which  are  made  semi-annually — lives  in  a  neat 
cottage,  surmounting  a  gentle  eminence  at  the  foot  of  the 
lake  which  I  have  so  poorly  described.  I  first  made  his 
acquaintance  in  the  forests  of  Northern  Maine,  where  we 
became  associated  in  a  hunting  expedition.  Many  a  moose 
and  caribou  fell  at  the  report  of  his  rifle,  and  I  never  met 
any  one  who  was  so  passionately  attached  to  the  sports  of 
the  field.  Small  and  fragile  in  form,  it  was  astonishing 
how  nerve  and  spirit  supplied  the  place  of  bone  and 
muscle,  as  he  was  the  hardiest  and  most  untiring  of  any 
one  in  the  camp.  Day  after  day,  he  would  don  the  snow- 


THE     COUNTKY     HOST.  209 

shoe  and  heavy  double-barreled  rifle,  and  when  the  ardor 
of  all  the  rest  of  the  party  was  dampened  by  a  day  of  ex- 
treme fatigue,  his  never  flagged.  No  matter  how  thick 
the  air  was  laden  with  the  trembling  snowflakes,  or  how 
icily  the  northern  blast  rushed  over  the  barrens,  out  he 
would  go,  never  returning  to  camp  till  the  shadows  were 
lost  in  the  murky  darkness.  As  I  have  instanced  before, 
he  possessed  that  unseen  power  which  enables  the 
thoroughbred  to  race  on  when  the  vision  has  become  dim, 
and  the  physical  machine  is  kept  in  motion  by  the  force 
of  the  mind  that  knows  not  failure.  He  is  the  scion  of 
one  of  those  aristocratic  Philadelphia  families,  who,  though 
warm  in  their  adherence  to  Washington  and  the  country 
during  the  struggle  for  independence,  yet  kept  up  the 
exclusiveness  of  the  nobility  they  assisted  to  ostracise. 
With  the  manners  of  the  class  from  which  he  sprang,  he 
unites  a  warmth  of  heart  and  disposition  that  prompts 
him  to  fraternize  with  whoever  he  thinks  worthy,  no  mat- 
ter how  lowly  he  ranks  in  the  social  scale.  This  grand 
quality,  united  to  the  wondrous  nerve  power  I  have  men- 
tioned, endeared  him  to  me  so  much  that  I  seduously  cul- 
tivated his  acquaintance.  I  am  happy  to  state  that  he 
reciprocated  the  strong  friendship,  and  ever  since — for 
many  years — I  have  been  a  visitor  at  his  house.  In  the 
winter  we  hunt  deer,  foxes  and  rabbits,  the  baying  hound 
filling  the  crisp  air  with  music  as  we  stand  on  the  run- 
ways ;  and  in  the  summer,  going  far  into  the  "  pathless 
woods "  of  that  section,  enticing  the  speckled  beauties  of 
the  brook,  and  breathing  the  pure  night  air  on  the  hem- 
lock boughs, — a  couch  you  are  so  well  acquainted  with,  and 
join  with  me  in  extolling.  During  the  winter,  we  alternate 
our  hunting  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lake — which  is  famous 
for  being  the  resort  of  game — to  ground  more  distant. 
Thus  I  have  become  acquainted  with  other  families  who 
hold  the  highest  place  in  my  affections.  Winter,  which 


210  HOBSE     POBTKAITUKE. 

so  many  dread  the  approach,  of,  to  me  is  as  enjoyable  as 
the  more  balmy  months  of  summer  ;  and  the  many  happy 
days  and  nights  I  have  spent  in  the  most  delightful  social 
intercourse  with  these  friends,  mark  it  as  a  time  that  will 
always  be  green  in  the  tablets  of  memory,  the  remem- 
brance being  a  "joy  forever." 

During  this  last  visit,  my  friend's  business  was  so  urgent 
that  I  could  not  assent  to  his  absenting  himself  from  im- 
portant duties  to  lounge  the  time  away  with  me  ;  so,  when 
tired  of  fishing  in  the  Silver  Lake,  I  would  mount  a  horse, 
and  ride  six  or  seven  miles  to  the  house  of  a  gentleman, — 
one  of  my  especial  favorites.  He  is  nearly  seventy  years 
old,  yet  with  feelings  as  youthful  as  many  possess  when 
half  a  century  younger!  His  personal  appearance  is  my 
beau-ideal  of  matured,  manly  beauty.  Age  has  taken 
away  none  of  the  lines  that  marked  him  for  a  model  in 
his  younger  days,  while  it  has  added  the  glory  of  silver 
hair  and  beard.  But  I  may  as  well  describe  him  minutely, 
as  I  see  you  are  somewhat  anxious  to  know  whether  my 
eye  is  as  correct  in  the  knowledge  of  human  perfection, 
as  you  admit  it  was  in  finding  the  Falcon  the  type  of 
whatever  is  super-excellent  in  the  horse.  This  old  gentle- 
man is  by  birth  English,  and  his  appearance  denotes  his 
nationality.  His  height  is  a  trifle  over  five  feet  ten, — (he 
proper  elevation  for  a  man,  as  sixteen  hands  is  for  the 
horse  that  carries  him.  His  shoulders  are  broad,  conveying 
the  idea  of  strength,  without  being  disproportioned  to  the 
rest  of  his  body.  His  limbs  are  long  and  muscular,  term- 
inating in  medium-sized  feet  and  hands.  There  is  a  little 
tendency  to  embonpoint,  just  giving  the  waistcoat  the  right 
set  without  any  approach  to  corpulency.  You  imagine,  if 
taken  away  from  country  life  and  made  a  bank  president 
or  railway  director,  he  would  be  at  least  a  score  of  pounds 
heavier,  and  your  surmises  are  probably  correct.  You 
can  see  that  daily  exercise  in  the  open  air  gives  that 


THE  OLD  COUNTET  GENTLEMAH.   211 

• 

ruddy  glow  to  the  cheek  betokening  buoyant  health.  The 
white  beard  falls  in  wavy  masses  on  the  full  chest;  a 
sparkling  diamond,  in  antique  silver  setting,  glows  on  the 
ruffled  shirt,  and  shines  like  a  bright  star  through  a  broken 
cloud  in  a  moonlit  sky.  The  moustache  is  as  silken  as  a 
boy's,  and  curves  away  from  lips  that  are  apart  enough  to 
show  natural,  weU  formed  teeth.  The  nose  is  slightly 
aquiline,  and  shows  determination  without  so  much  bend 
as  to  appear  haughty.  The  eyes  are  a  deep  blue, — earnest 
looking  eyes, — exemplifying  the  strong  soul  which  you 
can  see  shadowed  in  them.  The  brow  is  broad  and  pro- 
minent. The  hair  the  same  shining  hue  as  the  beard,  but 
clinging  in  close  curls  to  the  round,  well-formed  head. 
The  crown  is  bald,  making  the  closely  curled  locks  look 
like  an  ivy  garland.  He  dresses  with  consummate  taste, 
and  he  has  the  rare  faculty  of  looking  well-dressed,  even  if 
corduroys  and  a  fustian  shooting-jacket  envelop  his  manly 
frame.  It  is  supererogatory  to  say  that  he  excelled  in  all 
manly  sports  when  younger,  and  still  rides  across  the 
country,  disdaining  to  turn  for  a  stake-and-ridered  fence, 
and  would  nearly  as  soon  be  caught  in  a  mean  act  as  to 
shoot  a  partridge  or  pheasant  when  not  on  the  wing.  He 
is  a  graduate  of  one  of  England's  most  celebrated  colleges, 
well  versed  in  modern  literature,  plays  cribbage  and  whist 
scientifically,  gives  me  the  rook  and  move  at  chess,  and 
beats  me  more  than  half  the  time  then.  His  farm  is  a 
model  in  arrangement  and  management,  and  his  crops 
and  stock  show  how  much  skill  can  accomplish  in  making 
a  naturally  sterile  soil  look  well  and  pay  well. 

PUPIL. — Really,  my  worthy  master,  I  am  more  in  the 
dark  than  ever.  I  would  have  cheerfully  wagered  quite 
a  large  sum,  for  me,  that  you  had  some  other  object  in 
your  twice-a-year  visits  than  calling  on  the  friend  with 
the  wondrous  nerve  force.  Hunting,  fishing,  and  camp- 
ing, are  all  very  pleasant ;  yet  I  was  ready  to  swear  your 


212  HOKSE     PORTRAITURE. 

description  would  have  been  that  of  some  bright  feminine, 
in  place  of  a  Pennsylvania  Squire  Osbaldeston,  or  Sir 
Tatton.  I  looked  for  some  dashing  Die  Vernon, — and 
though,  not  long  ago,  you  informed  me  that  a  farm  and 
connubial  happiness  had  evaded  your  grasp  in  the  more 
exciting  whirl  of  the  turf  and  road,  I  still  thought  the 
idea  had  a  charm  which  you  were  loth  to  give  up.  Now 
this  old  gentleman  in  the  mansion,  on  the  well-stocked 
farm,  ought  to  have 

PBECEPTOE. — Away  you  go  like  an  unbroken  horse  with 
the  bit  between  his  teeth !  Having  made  up  your  mind 
that  you  are  wonderfully  cute,  you  start  on  a  scent,  right 
or  wrong,  and  follow  it, — like  making  a  trotter  of  every 
race  horse,  no  matter  whether  he  ambles  or  paces. 

PUPIL. — Beg  your  pardon  :  and  I  promise  not  to  make 
any  more  unseasonable  interruptions,  hoping  you  will  dis- 
close to  me  in  your  own  good  time  what  I  am  sure  is  to 
follow,  and  what  would  do  me  as  much  good  as  to  see 
Delia  trot  in  twenty. 

PEECEPTOE. — Your  interruption,  unseasonable  or  not, 
came  very  near  causing  me  to  end  abruptly  the  history  of 
my  journey.  But  to  finish  your  sentence,  which  I  made  the 
break  in,  Mr.  P.  has  not  only  a  daughter,  but  several 
of  them,  as  well  as  sons.  By  way  of  punishment,  I  am 
almost  tempted  not  to  describe  the  two  elder  daughters 
of  this  interesting  family  ;  but  feel  that,  much  as  you  will 
boast  of  your  penetration  in  discovering  something  that 
has  no  form  save  in  your  distempered  fancy,  it  will  be  ne- 
cessary to  introduce  them,  in  order  that  you  may  under- 
stand the  numerous  enjoyments  their  talents  and  edu- 
cation gave  me.  The  eldest,  Jane,  is  even  superior  to  her 
father  in  beauty  of  form,  face,  and  complexion.  There  is 
a  great  resemblance  in  their  appearance.  Notwithstanding 
there  is  nothing  but  masculine  vigor  in  every  point  of  the 
father,  yet  it  is  toned  down  and  modified  in  the  daughter, 


THE     DAUGHTER.  213 

till  she  is  as  much  a  type  of  female  loveliness  as  the 
famed  Medician  statue,  which  so  many  generations  have 
conceded  to  be  the  model.  As  a  preface,  I  must  acknowl- 
edge her  to  be  the  very  handsomest  woman  I  ever  saw,  with 
one  exception  ;  and  this  is  saying  a  good  deal  for  one  who, 
for  years,  was  a  constant  visitor  to  ail  of  the  Southern  race 
courses,  witnessing  the  blaze  of  beauty  that  was  wont  to 
shine  in  the  grand  stands  at  Charleston,  Mobile,  and  New 
Orleans.  Not  knowing  how  many  feet  and  inches  is 
the  proper  standard  for  a  woman's  height,  I  cannot  even 
guess  how  tall  she  may  be,  and  I  can  only  describe  her 
stature,  by  saying  that  I  believe  half  an  inch  either  way 
would  very  much  lessen  the  grace  of  her  figure.  The  deep 
blue  of  her  parent's  eye  is  intensified  in  hers,  and  dark- 
ened, till,  in  some  lights,  it  becomes  almost  black,  taking, 
with  every  feeling,  a  varying  expression,  hardly  needing 
the  aid  of  words  to  convey  what  is  passing  in  her  mind. 
The  slight  Koman  curve  in  the  old  gentleman's  nose  gives 
way  in  hers  to  the  purest  Grecian  ;  the  thin  and  expand- 
ing nostril,  cut  as  finely  as  was  ever  seen  portrayed  in 
ancient  cameo.  The  upper  lip  is  curved  like  the  bow  of 
Cupid,  while  the  under  is  rounded,  and  slightly  fuller. 
The  chin  is  beautifully  turned,  and  the  setting  on  of  the 
head  to  the  finely  moulded  neck  is  perfection  itself.  The 
complexion,  which  I  have  no  words  to  describe,  is  the 
finest  English  and  American  combined.  Burns'  "Lilies 
dipt  in  wine"  is  vivid,  without  picturing  the  commingling 
of  tints.  Those  sea-shells,  that  are  brought  from  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  in  their  delicate  pencilings, 
are  the  nearest  approach  I  can  think  of.  But  in  her 
cheeks  the  changes  are  many, — now  glowing,  when  ex 
cited,  now  subsiding  into  a  clear  pearly  lustre.  Her  hair 
is  of  the  pure  golden  color,  which  poets  in  all  ages  have 
rhapsodized  about,  and  which  I  thought  existed  only  in 
their  fervid  and  florid  imaginings,  till  I  saw  Jane  P. 

10 


214  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

Her  taste,  in  its  arrangement,  is  equal  to  its  marvelous 
beauty,  though  what  model  is  followed  I  am  unable  to 
say.  Every  movement  is  graceful  and  lady-like,  uniting 
the  polish  of  high  breeding  to  the  native  modesty  of  her 
every  look  and  gesture.  Educated  in  all  the  prevalent 
female  accomplishments,  she  excels  so  much  in  drawing 
and  painting  that  her  other  excellences  are  partly  hidden. 
To  this  fascinating  pursuit  she  is  an  enthusiastic  devotee  ; 
and  her  portfolio  is  filled  with  sketches  that  would  de- 
light an  artist,  as  well  as  charm  one  whose  sesthetic  tastes 
are  no  better  cultivated  than  mine. 

Her  sister  Susan  is  widely  different  in  both  appearance 
and  character.  Though  two  years  younger,  a  stranger 
would  think  her  the  elder.  Tall,  and  of  majestic  form, 
she  has  a  queenly  department  that  completely  awes  and 
takes  captive  her  youthful  admirers,  and,  I  must  admit, 
that  for  some  time  I  thought  her  the  most  beautiful  of 
these  two  handsome  sisters.  The  difference  between  Minna 
and  Brenda,  Rowena  and  Rebecca,  was  not  so  marked ; 
and  yet  there  is  a  similarity,  in  Jane  and  Susan,  in  both 
being  so  transcendentally  beautiful.  The  grey  eyes,  black 
— intensely  black — eyebrows  and  hair  of  Susan,  comport 
well  with  the  chiseled,  oval  face.  Her  features  are,  if 
anything,  the  most  regular  of  the  two,  and  there  is  a 
haughty  look,  which  marks  the  indomitable  spirit.  In  the 
family  circle,  it  is  hard  to  say  which  is  the  most  agreeable; 
and  when  I  add  that  Susan  excels  as  much  in  music  as 
Jane  does  in  the  sister  art  of  drawing,  time  could  not 
hang  heavy  on  my  hands.  I  will  forbear  to  say  anything 
further  at  present  of  them  and  their  pursuits;  and  as  their 
father  brings  them  down  to  attend  the  races  at  Jerome 
Park,  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  for  yourself. 
I  have  taken  up  so  much  time  that  I  will  have  to  defer 
acquainting  you  with  the  details  of  my  rustication,  which 


JAKE     ASTD     SUSAN     AT    THE     RACES.      215 

I  hope  will  entertain  you  as  much  as  your  account,  when 
you  first  came,  of  the  breeding-farm,  struck  my  fancy. 

PUPIL. — I  am  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  making  the 
acquaintance  of  your  friends,  and  have  only  one  request 
to  make — that  you  will  invite  them  to  see  a  trot  on  the 
classic  Union,  when  Miss  Jane  can  have  her  love  for  the 
beautiful  gratified  by  seeing  you  drive  the  bob-tailed 
buck-skin  that  gained  favor  by  beating  the  celebrated 
contraband, — and  Mdlle.  Susan  can  hear  your  musical 
voice  as  you  shout  at  him  to  increase  his  easy  flight  of 
speed. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  have  a  great  mind  to  discard  you  en- 
tirely ;  and  if  you  have  the  impertinence,  even  to  hint  at 
my  mounting  a  sulky,  during  the  visit  of  Mr.  P.  and 
daughters,  I  will  turn  every  trotter  out  of  the  stable. 
Thanks  to  the  rough  country  in  which  the  ladies  live,  a 
trotting-sulky  is  unknown  to  them,  and  their  ideas  of  race 
horses  are  from  paintings  of  Derby  and  St.  Leger  winners 
sent  by  their  friends  in  England.  I  would  not,  for  every 
trotter  on  the  track,  be  seen  driving  the  one  you  mention, 
when  I  have  described  to  them,  in  as  glowing  terms  as 
I  could  muster  the  excitement,  of  a  closely  contested  race, 
and  felt,  as  I  saw  the  two  beautiful  countenances  grow 
animated  with  my  poor  description,  that  the  scene  was 
enacted  in  truth  before  us.  Should  they  see  in  realiza- 
tion of  this  the  uncouth,  dirty-colored  bob-tailed  brute,  I 
should  never  have  the  heart  to  see  them  again. 

A  sulky  is  about  as  unpoetical  as  a  wheelbarrow,  and 
not  only  hides  the  figure  of  the  horse,  but  places  the 
driver  in  a  very  ungraceful  attitude. 

How  I  would  like  to  see  Susan  mounted  on  the  Falcon ! 
What  a  picture  it  would  be,  not  needing  the  aid  of  a 
grand  old  tree  to  make  it  complete!  How  grand  she 
would  appear  enthroned  on  his  back!  And  I  would 
wager  my  life  that  he  would  disdain  to  trot.  He  would 


216  HOESE    PORTBAITUBE. 

sweep  along  at  his  grandest  pace,  and  all  the  equestrian 
statues  and  spectacles  would  be  far  eclipsed  by  this  living 
display  of  power,  grace,  and  beauty. 

We  will  now  take  up  our  line  of  march  for  the  track, 
when  we  will  see  how  Oriole  and  Mavourneen  deport 
themselves. 


CHAPTEE    XVI. 

THE  COLTS — MANNER  OF  PROGRESSING — SWEATING — PHYSIC — 
REDUCING  WITHOUT  MEDICINE. 

PUPIL. — As  you  are  too  full  of  the  lines  of  grace  and 
beauty  to  look  with  equanimity  on  a  sulky,  I  will  have  the 
colts  hitched  to  the  wagon,  frankly  admitting  that  I  want 
them  tofstrike  you  as  favorably  as  their  merits  will  justify. 
Oriole,  being  a  year  the  oldest,  will  have  the  precedence, 
and  I  will  drive  her  first. 

PRECEPTOR.— You  may  not  think  much  of  my  powers  of 
discrimination,  because  I  do  not  qualify  the  praise  of  your 
horses  with  some  invidious  remark  ;  but  I  must  acknow- 
ledge that  I  never  saw  colts  that  pleased  me  so  well. 
How  general  is  the  desire  to  be  considered  a  good  judge 
of  a  horse !  I  have  often  been  much  amused  at  the  efforts 
of  people  to  appear  learned  in  the  scale  of  points.  Many 
will  think  that  the  only  way  of  impressing  a  general  belief 
in  the  soundness  of  their  judgment  is  to  pick  the  animal 
to  pieces,  and  while  learnedly  discoursing,  will  often  praise 
the  parts  that  are  very  faulty,  while  they  condemn  the 
only  good  points  in  the  animal. 

I  must  say  that  the  fancifully  marked  filly  is  one  of  first- 
rate  promise,  and  after  the  closest  scrutiny  I  cannot  see 
where  she  could  well  be  bettered.  It  is  quite  true  that 
she  is  far  from  being  a  trotter  yet,  and  may  never  be 
classed  as  such,  no  matter  how  much  care  we  use  in  her 
education.  Her  fine  size,  united  to  good  form  and  even- 
ness of  temper,  is  a  great  thing  at  the  outset,  while  her 


218  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

gait  is  certainly  very  true  and  square.  The  rolling  and 
hitching  you  spoke  of  she  has  not  shown  yet,  and  I  hope, 
if  we  do  not  hurry  her  too  fast,  she  will  not  resume  that 
very  annoying  habit.  Mavourneen  I  will  have  to  see 
move  again  before  I  venture  an  opinion,  as  I  fancied  there 
was  something  in  her  movement  not  quite  satisfactory. 
What  a  beauty  she  is !  Unlike  your  friend,  who  thinks 
no  man  rich  enough  to  buy  her  if  she  could  trot  in  twen- 
ty-five, if  I  owned  her,  a  harness  should  never  ruffle  a  sin- 
gle pile  of  her  golden  hair.  Much  as  I  would  admire  the 
grand  picture  Susan  and  the  Falcon  would  make,  I  can 
fancy  one  I  would  give  more  to  possess.  Imagine  a  grassy 
dell  where  a  sheeny  brook  is  "singing  a  quiet  tune/' 
Jane  is  seated  on  a  violet  bank  sketching  an  elm, — its 
branches  rising  like  the  capital  of  a  Corinthian  column,  in 
graceful  reversed  curves,  crowned  with  a  wealth  of  foliage 
terminating  the  spray-like  branches.  Mavourneen  is 
standing  by  as  if  watching  the  transferring  of  the  sylvan 
monarch  to  the  paper,  too  much  attached  to  her  beautiful 
mistress  to  leave  her  side.  The  drawing  finished,  how 
gayly  the  fair  artist  gallops  homeward,  the  shining  curls 
floating  in  the  ambient  fluid !  But  I  cry  your  forbearance, 
j,nd  promise  not  to  let  the  incidents  of  the  last  three 
weeks  interfere  with  the  attention  we  must  now  give  our 
horses. 

PUPIL. — Truly,  I  am  sorry  that  you  have  come  to  that 
conclusion,  and  trust  we  have  time  enough  to  talk  of 
something  else  besides  horse.  We  who  make  the  business 
of  training  our  chief  occupation,  are  apt  to  be  bored  with 
any  other  theme,  till  those  who  are  thrown  in  our  com- 
pany think  that  horsemen  are  fitted  for  no  other  place 
than  a  stable,  or  at  most,  some  saloon  where  races  are 
made,  and  pools  sold.  We  must  educate  ourselves,  as  well 
as  teach  the  quadrupeds,  and  much  of  the  obloquy  now 
heaped  on  us  will  give  way  to  a  proper  appreciation  of  the 


INCIPIENT     LAMENESS.  219 

merits  we  possess.  A  love  for  the  beautiful  is  just  as  com- 
patible with  handling  horses,  as  in  the  professions  absorb- 
ing the  greater  proportion  of  the  talent  of  the  country.  I 
sincerely  hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  a  liberal 
education  will  be  thought  essential  in  the  training  of  a 
good  horseman  ;  and  I  know  that  reading  and  study  are 
rewarded  in  this  profession,  as  in  those  where  erudition 
is  considered  the  only  foundation  to  build  upon.  I  am 
certain  that  Jane's  pictures  and  Susan's  music  would  have 
charmed  you  fully  as  much,  if  the  artists  had  been  less 
favored  by  nature  in  being  themselves  so  beautiful. 
But— 

PKECEPTOE. — We  will  dispense  with  the  continuation  of 
the  sentence,  as  I  do  not  want  to  be  led  into  a  disputation 
at  present,  nor  to  argue  an  abstract  question  of  art,  fur- 
ther than  to  heartily  agree  with  you  in  the  necessity  of 
education  in  our  business.  We  will  now  attend  the  even- 
ing walk  of  the  horses,  and  without  utterly  tabooing  the 
subjects  that  have  been  uppermost  in  my  mind,  we  must 
give  to  training  the  study  it  so  imperatively  demands,  if 
we  would  succeed  in  getting  all  of  our  horses  in  proper 
order,  so  that  they  may  trot  their  races  according  to  their 
best  ability. 

In  former  conversations,  we  discussed  the  effects  of 
walking,  and  I  do  not  know  that  much  more  can  be  said 
at  present  pertaining  to  that  part  of  the  exercise!  I  al- 
ways like  to  see  the  horses  when  at  their  walk,  and  by 
closely  watching  them,  can  distinguish  if  anything  is  going 
wrong.  When  a  horse  is  fairly  settled  in  his  walk,  there  is 
very  little  variation  in  the  way  in  which  he  performs  it;  and 
when  he  does  change,  I  always  try  to  find  out  the  reason 
that  causes  him  to  go  differently.  Slight  strains,  that 
unattended  too  often  result  in  serious  lameness,  sometimes 
show  more  plainly  when  a  horse  is  walking  than  when 
going  at  a  faster  gait.  By  closely  scrutinizing  the  move- 


220  HOESE    POETRAITUKE. 

ments  of  a  horse  when  well,  the  eye  will  detect  changes 
the  most  skillful  could  not  see,  if  not  acquainted  with  the 
peculiarities  of  the  animal.  I  have  seen  the  removal  of 
shoes  followed  by  a  difference  so  marked,  that  the  change 
would  be  ascribed  to  something  serious  having  happened  ; 
and  as  an  illustration  of  this,  will  recount  a  circumstance 
that  occurred  before  I  adopted  the  present  system  of  shoe- 
ing. I  sent  a  horse  to  the  shop  to  have  his  shoes  reset. 
He  came  back  apparently  all  right,  yet,  when  taken  out 
in  the  afternoon  to  walk,  I  saw  a  shortening  of  his  step, 
which  soon  changed  to  positive  lameness.  The  most  thor- 
ough examination  failed  to  discover  the  cause,  though  I 
felt  convinced  the  shoeing  was  the  reason.  The  job  had 
evidently  been  done  with  the  greatest  care  ;  the  shoe  fit- 
ted exactly,  and  every  nail  was  driven  the  same  distance 
above  it.  I  thought  that  perhaps  the  clinches  had  been 
too  closely  drawn,  hampering  the  foot  with  the  pressure. 
It  was  too  late  to  take  him  back  to  the  shop  that  night,  so 
the  foot-tub  was  brought  in  requisition,  and  the  soaking 
kept  up  till  bed-time.  Next  morning  he  was  worse,  there- 
fore I  went  to  the  shop  with  him  myself.  The  smith  was 
positive  the  injury  was  not  caused  by  the  shoeing,  and 
suggested  sprains  of  the  coffin-joint,  pastern,  elbow,  or 
shoulder.  He  cut  the  clinches,  drawing  the  nails  out  sep- 
arately, when  we  soon  discovered  what  had  caused  the 
difficulty.  The  nail  in  making  had  been  split,  and,  in 
driving,  the  parts  had  divided,  one  portion  coming  out 
where  intended,  the  other,  following  a  straight  course,  had 
pressed  on  the  sensitive  portion  of  the  foot,  and,  of  course, 
the  hurt  increased  as  the  walk  was  continued.  The  sys- 
tem of  shoeing  we  are  now  practicing  would,  in  a  meas- 
ure, guard  against  the  occurrence  of  this  accident — the 
nails  being  hardly  more  than  half  the  customary  length, 
and  the  point  of  exit  much  nearer  the  shoe,  so  that  the 


PKEPAKATIOH     FOE     SWEATING.          221 

liability  of  their  taking  a  wrong  curve  when  driven  is  much 
lessened. 

As  you  remarked,  Never  Mind  has  a  very  queer  manner 
of  progression,  and  I  can  hardly  think  it  is  his  natural 
walk.  If  so,  it  is  "  werry  peculiar,"  as  Sam  Weller  would 
say,  and  totally  unlike  any  walk  I  ever  witnessed  before. 
May  it  not  be  ascribed  to  the  severity  of  treatment  he  met 
with  at  the  hands  of  the  man  who  worked  him  so  hard, 
and  who  sweated  him  so  often,  that  there  was  neither 
vigor  nor  proper  life  left  in  him  ?  As  it  resembles  so  much 
the  manner  in  which  a  horse  would  walk  when  nearly 
prostrated  from  exhaustion,  the  inference  is,  that  he  ac- 
quired it  from  having  been  forced  to  take  long  walks, 
when  he  ought  to  have  been  allowed  uninterrupted  repose. 

As  he  is  more  gross-  than  any  of  the  others,  he  will  be 
the  first  we  should  sweat ;  and  as  I  contemplate  putting 
him  through  that  ordeal  in  a  few  days,  we  will  now  begin 
his  preparation.  Half  an  hour  before  the  time  for  the 
others  to  come  in,  he  can  be  stopped  and  allowed  to  graze. 
His  hay  will  be  curtailed  a  little  to-night,  and  the  quantity 
of  grain  slightly  increased.  It  was  formerly  my  plan, 
when  a  horse  was  in  the  situation  he  is,  to  give  him  a  d^e 
of  physic,  and  I  would  have  thought  any  one  a  mere  tyro 
in  the  business  who  neglected  to  do  so.  Many  still  fol- 
low that  plan,  and  would  think  it  impossible  to  condition 
a  horse  without  the  use  of  drastic  drugs.  Had  some  one 
asked  me  the  reason  why  I  used  physic,  I  should  have 
answered  that  it  was  to  decrease  the  belly,  rectify  a  dis- 
ordered action  of  the  bowels,  expel  parasites,  prevent  hu- 
mors and  plethora,  cure  swelled  legs,  and  refresh  and  en- 
liven the  animal.  Blood-letting,  diuretics  and  diaphore- 
tics, were  also  connected  with  the  violent  purgations,  and 
considered  prime  necessaries  in  the  treatment  of  horses 
expected  to  go  fast.  If  a  horse  is  not  healthy,  the  veteri- 
narian ought  to  be  consulted.  But  as  long  as  he  feeds 
10* 


222  HOUSE    PORTRAITUBE. 

heartily,  I  would  certainly  rely  on  getting  him  in  proper 
condition  with  other  agents  than  by  dosing  him  with  balls 
and  drenches.  The  reasons  why  I  advise  that  Never  Mind 
should  graze  for  half  an  hour,  the  amount  of  his  hay 
shortened,  and  grain  increased,  are  that  the  stomach 
may  not  be  encumbered,  the  evacuations  more  pultaceous, 
and  less  danger  of  feverish  symptoms  following  the 
exudation.  I  only  mention  the  sweating  incidentally,  as 
we  will  give  it  the  fullest  consideration  when  the  time 
comes  to  practice  it.  Physic  I  have  hardly  treated  as  it 
should  be,  and  we  may  as  well  consider  now  the  bearing 
it  has  as  part  of  the  preparation  for  fast  work,  as  in  the 
future.  Horse  training  is  not  the  only  thing  it  has  been 
considered  important  in.  Had  a  man  to  be  "fitted"  for 
any  arduous  undertaking,  it  was  also  held  imperative  that 
he  should  follow  a  course  that  was  sure  to  weaken,  and 
needing  cordials  for  him  to  recover  from  the  effects. 
And  not  alone  in  athletic  exercises  has  its  use  been  sanc- 
tioned ;  but  purging  and  bleeding  have  been  practiced  in 
every  department  of  life.  The  bolus  and  lancet  depleted 
the  system,  outraging  nature,  whose  violated  laws  were  so 
Ij^le  understood  that  the  life  currents  were  sapped,  and 
the  tone  of  the  stomach  injured  by  the  poisons  intro- 
duced. 

The  practitioner  for  the  human  family  has  broken  away 
from  the  old  practices,  and  increased  longevity  is  the  re- 
sult. The  course  of  physic  prescribed  by  the  old  trainers 
was  three  doses,  given  at  intervals  of  from  eight  to  four- 
teen days.  Twice  a  year  this  had  to  be  gone  through 
with ;  first,  when  the  horse  was  taken  up  in  the  spring 
after  the  winter's  rest,  and  again  when  the  season  of  labor 
was  completed.  The  first  effect  of  physic  is  to  act  on  the 
inner  surface  of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  This  irritation 
causes  a  copious  secretion  of  a  water-like  fluid,  derived 
from  the  blood.  Thus  nature  tries  to  relieve  the  system 


EFFECTS     OF     USING     PHYSIC.  223 

from  the  poison  by  diluting  it  and  extending  the  surface 
on  which  it  acts. 

The  loss  of  blood  is  made  up  by  the  absorbing  vessels. 
They  first  commence  operations  on  the  fat,  which  under- 
goes a  change,  and  acquires  a  resemblance  to  blood.  This, 
do  far,  might  be  of  service  by  removing  the  superfluities 
which  are  in  the  way  of  rapid  locomotion  ;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, it  does  not  end  here.  The  superpurgation,  that 
almost  invariably  follows  this  course,  is  so  debiliating  that 
much  valuable  time  is  lost  in  re-establishing  the  health. 
As  an  evidence  that  there  has  been  injury  done,  the  horse 
that  was  in  good  spirits  before,  and  had  a  hearty  appetite, 
becomes  dull  and  refuses  his  food.  The  sickness  and  de- 
jection usually  passes  off  when  purging  takes  place,  and 
the  intestines  have  become  relieved  of  the  foreign  matter. 
There  have  been  numerous  instances  of  horses  being  killed 
by  the  operation  of  violent  cathartics,  though  not  even 
then  will  the  practitioner  admit  his  error,  and  will  ascribe 
the  fatal  result  to  the  want  of  constitution  in  the  animal, 
not  to  the  virulence  of  the  drug.  The  question  may  be 
asked,  "  How  then  will  you  train  a  horse  overloaded  with 
flesh,  with  legs  that  are  swollen  from  plethoric  habit,  and 
which  is  naturally  not  strong  enough  to  stand  the  work 
necessary  to  have  him  trot  fast  in  a  short  period  of  time?" 
It  would  be  much  better  not  to  subject  such  an  animal  to 
hard  work  until  we  had  taken  time  to  bring  him  by  de- 
grees to  where  he  could  endure,  without  injury,  the  exer- 
tion of  getting  lid  of  the  superfluities.  Blood-letting, 
purging  and  sweating,  are  the  means  used  by  all  trainers 
to  accomplish  the  reduction  of  the  subject.  If  we  discard 
the  first  two,  are  we  not  likely  to  do  as  serious  injury  by 
depending  entirely  on  the  latter?  One  thing  has  been 
received  as  an  axiom  by  all  of  those  who  have  the  manage- 
ment of  horses ;  viz.,  that  no  curtailment  of  food  is  ad- 
missible. Admitting  the  truth  of  the  old  adage,  that  the 


224  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

more  the  horse  eats  the  better  condition  he  will  b^  in,  we 
must  qualify  it  with  the  explanation,  that  his  work  must 
be  in  proportion,  so  that  he  continually  gains  in  speed 
and  stoutness.  The  horse  that  eats  so  much,  that,  with 
all  the  work  his  legs  and  lungs  will  stand,  he  keeps  taking 
on  too-  much  flesh,  must  be  restricted  in  the  supply,  if  even 
it  fall  below  that  which  we  would  like  to  see  him  eating. 
The  position  then  may  be  untenable  although  sanctioned 
by  those  highest  in  the  profession.  One  of  the  great  re- 
quisites for  speed  is  muscle,  and  all  recognize  the  fact  that 
a  diminution  of  that  article  is  an  injury.  Hence  the  vol- 
ume has  to  be  kept  up  ;  and  the  argument  used  is,  that 
food  makes  muscle,  and  that  the  quantity  will  decrease 
with  any  curtailment  of  the  rations.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  say  how  much  food  would  have  to  be  given  to 
form  all  the  muscle  a  horse  could  carry. 

An  idle  horse  eating,  say  twelve  quarts  per  day,  would 
eliminate  from  the  surplus  a  good  deal  more  fat,  and 
nothing  like  as  much  muscle,  as  the  one  eating  the  same 
quantity  and  regularly  worked.  All  that  the  horse  eats 
»,bove  the  daily  waste  is  stowed  up  for  future  use.  When 
» he  food  is  below  the  requirements,  the  fat  is  first  seized 
on  by  the  absorbents,  and  it  would  take  a  long  time  before 
a  very  gross  animal  would  become  emaciated  on  a  slight 
decrease  of  food.  When  a  horse  has  become  inordinately 
fat,  it  is  distributed  both  in  the  interior  and  on  the  out- 
side ;  and  one  that  is  high  in  flesh,  and  that  flesh  acquired 
while  doing  a  fair  quantity  of  fast  work,  has  his  surplus 
mainly  covering  the  ribs  and  filling  up  the  interstices  be- 
tween the  muscles. .  In  one  case  the  fat  interferes  with  the 
action  of  the  heart  and  lungs,  completely  hindering  the 
working  of  the  machine,  and  making  it  totally  impossible 
to  go  any  distance  fast ;  while  in  the  other,  though  ham- 
pered with  the  additional  unnecessary  weight,  the  horse 
works  with  far  less  labor.  His  legs  would  become  weary, 


STUDY     OF     HIPPOPAT 110  LOGY.  225 

which  repose  would  soon  restore.  Should  these  two 
horses  be  put  in  train  at  the  same  time,  both  having  to  trot 
races  on  the  same  day,  it  is  apparent  that  their  treatment 
could  not  be  alike.  There  would  be  no  difficulty  with  the 
one :  his  food  and  work  could  be  given  with  impunity.  With 
the  other,  some  part  of  his  preparation  would  have  to  be 
hurried,  and  I  would  much  rather  it  should  be  in  the  last 
stage  than  the  first.  Two-thirds  the  amount  of  grain,  with 
not  over  half  the  hay,  three  feeds  a  day  in  place  of  four, 
and  the  work  given  when  the  stomach  was  as  near  empty 
as  possible — before  feeding  in  the  morning — would  be  the 
variation.  The  sweats  given  with  less  work  and  heavier 
clothing  would  suit  me  better  than  sickening  him  with 
aloes.  The  alterative  medicine  we  are  giving  Clipper  is 
very  different  in  its  effects.  It  is  also  combined  with  a 
tonic,  and  the  intention  is  to  strengthen — not  weaken — the 
stomach. 

PUPIL. — I  have  often  wondered  at  the  array  of  bottles, 
pots,  and  cans,  which  some  trainers  fill  their  stables  with, 
and  have  imagined  that  if  all  their  contents  were  needed 
to  develop  the  trotting-speed  of  the  inmates,  that  chem- 
istry and  pharmacy  were  necessary  studies. 

PKECEPTOE. — That  the  study  of  Hippopathology  would 
be  beneficial  to  trainers,  I  firmly  believe,  giving  them  the 
power,  to  detect  disease,  before  it  became  seated  and  re- 
quired the  aid  of  a  veterinarian  to  handle;  but  when  seated, 
I  would  much  prefer  putting  the  case  in  the  hands  of  a  man 
who  has  made  that  science  his  whole  study  and  business. 
To  be  able  to  form  a  correct  diagnosis  of  a  malady  that  is 
threatening  a  horse,  might  be  of  great  service  in  establish- 
ing guards  to  prevent  it.  My  remarks  in  allusion  to  pur- 
gatives were  as  a  means  of  furthering  condition.  I  most 
assuredly  would  not  throw  them  out  as  prescriptions  for 
disease.  The  question  is,  Is  it  necessary  to  give  a  well 
horse  medicine,  thereby  making  him  sick,  in  order  that 


226  HOKSE     PORTRAITURE. 

his  frame  may  be  brought  the  sooner  to  endure  great 
fatigue  ?  I  think  that  other  processes  are  better,  yet  it  is 
a  matter  of  so  much  moment,  that  we  ought  not  to  take 
any  one's  assertions,  unless  such  assertions  are  based  on 
good  judgment,  or  have  been  put  to  the  proof. 

PUPIL. — Your  former  remarks  that  air,  food,  exercise,  and 
a  strict  attention  to  cleanliness,  were  the  great  adjuncts 
to  successful  training,  appear  to  cover  the  whole  ground. 
The  variations  that  can  be  made  with  the  almost  endless 
varieties  of  food,  and  the  difference  in  exercise  from  the 
walk  to  the  fast  trot,  will  meet  the  wants  of,  at  least,  a 
majority  of  horses.  With  what  little  knowledge  I  have 
of  training,  I  should  never  have  thought  of  drenching  or 
balling  to  hasten  condition.  If  one  of  my  horses  were 
taken  with  scouring,  I  should  try  at  once  to  check  it  by 
giving  more  hay  and  less  grain  ;  sometimes  using  a  drink 
made  with  starch  or  wheat  flour,  and  if  the  case  was  bad, 
using  injections  of  the  same  material.  Oftentimes  suck- 
ling colls  are  greatly  troubled  with  this  complaint,  and  if 
it  is  not  stopped,  it  will  kill  them  in  a  very  short  time.  I 
seldom  fail  to  cure  it  by  restricting  the  mother  to  flour 
and  water  for  drink,  with  a  very  little  tannin  in  it.  But 
if  it  has  not  been  attended  to  at  once,  the  poison  becomes 
disseminated  in  the  system  of  the  foal,  and  both  have  to 
be  treated.  In  that  case  I  give  two  or  three  raw  eggs, 
broken,  into  the  colt's  mouth,  and  should  these  fail,  a  strong 
cup  of  black  coffee  will,  nine  times  in  ten,  effect  a  cure. 
I  was  much  amused  at  a  friend  of  mine  who  left  with  me 
three  mares  to  stay  during  the  season.  One  of  them  had 
a  foal  by  the  Falcon,  which  the  man  thought  very  highly 
of.  When  ready  to  leave,  he  asked  me  how  I  treated  colts 
with  the  scours.  I  answered  as  I  have  been  telling  you. 
That  would  not  do  for  him,  and  I  must  accompany  him  to 
the  town,  where  he  would  get  me  the  medicine  that  I  must 
use,  in  case  his  colt  should  be  unfortunate  enough  to  be 


HOMOEOPATHIC     PKESCKIPTIOKS.        227 

attacked.  I,  of  course,  went  with  him  to  the  drug  store. 
He  got  a  half  ounce  vial  which  he  filled  with  distilled  wa- 
ter ;  to  this  he  added  as  much  of  a  white  powder  as  would 
lie  on  the  extreme  point  of  the  small  blade  of  a  pen  knife. 
He  then  directed  me  to  take  another  vial  the  same  size,  fill 
it  with  rain-water  and  put  three  drops  of  the  liquid  of  the 
first  vial  ^'nto  it,  and  should  the  colt  become  sick,  drop  one 
drop  on  his  tongue,  showing  me  how  to  hold  my  finger  to 
guard  against  any  more  falling.  I  could  hardly  keep  my 
countenance,  but  managed  to  restrain  myself  to  ask  what 
would  be  the  result,  should  more  than  one  drop  be  given. 
He  answered,  two  drops  will  stop  the  discharge  too  sud- 
denly, but  be  very  careful  that  three  drops  are  not  given, 
as  that  would  certainly  kill  him.  I  took  the  vial  without 
any  further  remarks,  and  as  the  colt  was  weh1  all  the  time 
he  was  at  my  place,  I  had  no  opportunity  to  test  the  won- 
derful efficacy  of  the  eightieth  part  of  a  drop  of  the  first 
solution. 

PRECEPTOR. — Such  infinitesimal  doses,  I  should  think, 
could  not  do  much  good  or  harm.  Still  to  me  there  is  some- 
thing very  wonderful  in  homoeopathy,  and  I  believe  that 
system  carried  into  horse  practice  would  be  beneficial. 
The  cruelty  now  constantly  attending  the  treatment  of 
horses  by  those  who-boast  loudly  of  their  skill,  and  impose 
on  the  credulity  of  owners,  might  be  abated,  if  all,  not 
regularly  educated  in  veterinary  colleges,  followed  the 
homoeopathic  formula.  How  much  cruelty  has  been  prac- 
ticed in  the  treatment  of  horses  for  the  colic!  I  have 
known  a  pint  of  soft  soap  and  a  pint  of  vinegar  first  given, 
then  a  pint  of  whiskey  and  a  tablespoonful  of  Cayenne 
pepper,  then  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  saleratus  dissolved 
in  hot  water,  and  lastly,  a  gill  of  spirits  of  turpentine 
poured  down  the  nostrill.  The  men  who  recommended 
the  last  dose  were  highly  indignant  when  I  prophecied  it 
would  kill  him,  and  I  nearly  got  myself  in  a  scrape  by 


228  HOESE    POETEAITUEE.' 

denouncing  them  as  an  ignorant,  cruel  set,  unworthy  of 
ever  seeing  a  horse.  I  have  never  yet  known  a  case  of 
flatulent  or  spasmodic  colic  fail  to  be  relieved  by  the  use 
of  copious  injections  of  warm  water,  if  given  in  time. 
While  recommending  the  study  of  the  pathology  of  the 
horse,  I  would  still  more  strongly  urge  the  consideration 
of  his  anatomy ;  at  least,  so  far  as  to  obtain  a  correct 
knowledge  of  the  osseous  structure.  Knowing  correctly 
the  position  of  every  joint  and  articulation,  we  can  arrive 
with  far  more  certainty  at  the  solution  of  lameness,  which 
otherwise  might  be  difficult  to  locate.  3?or  instance  an 
enlargement  of  the  coronary  ligament  is  often  taken  for 
ringbone  ;  and  the  effort  to  reduce  this  morbid  growth  in 
the  tissues,  is  the  cause  of  hundreds  being  tortured  in  the 
vain  hope  of  curing  an  incurable  disease. 

Acquaintance  with  anatomy  would  also  be  of  good 
service  in  determining  the  structural  symmetry  and  equi- 
poise of  the  parts  that  form  the  well-balanced  whole. 
This  might  be  important  knowledge  when  adjusting  the 
work  to  the  supposed  capability  of  the  animal ;  of  course  it 
would  be  impossible  to  demonstrate  from  the  form  the  work 
a  horse  ought  to  have,  and  yet  knowing  the  faulty  place  in 
that  horse's  make-up,  might  lead  to  a  variation  in  his 
treatment,  resulting  favorably,  when  one  might  have  gone 
on  a  wrong  track  unguided.  It  is  getting  rather  too  late 
in  the  day  to  discuss  this  question  now  ;  at  some  future 
time  we  will  have  a  talk  on  the  proper-frame  work  for 
rapid  locomotion.  Considering  the  horse  as  a  finished 
piece  of  mechanism,  it  is  essential  that  each  part  should 
be  in  proportion  to  work  in  harmony,  so  that  there  need 
be  no  waste  of  muscular  power  in  moving  it  along. 


CHAPTEK   XVII. 

HARNESSING — DRIVING! — COMMAND  OF  TEMPER — DRIVING  ON  ICE — 
WINTER-TROTTING   IN  CHICAGO,    &C. 

PRECEPTOR. — Good  morning,  my  hopeful  scholar.  I  see 
you  are  awaiting  my  presence  to  commence  operations. 

PUPIL. — "We  are  all  ready.  The  morning  wall?:  is  through 
with,  and  I  have  harnessed  Jane.  I  always  like  to  have 
the  harness  get  warm  before  hitching  to  the  vehicle.  I 
formerly  owned  a  horse  that,  if  saddled  and  mounted  im- 
mediately, would  throw  off  the  best  rider  in  the  world ; 
but  if  saddled  half  an  hour  before  he  was  brought  out  of 
the  barn,  would  go  as  quietly  as  desired.  I  ascribed  this 
to  the  coldness  and  dampness  of  the  pad,  which  had  pro- 
bably frightened  him  in  his  first  lessons. 

PRECEPTOR. — In  all  likelihood  that  was  the  reason.  The 
stuffing  of  the  saddle  absorbs  a  good  deal  of  moisture, 
which  must  be  exceedingly  uncomfortable  when  pressed 
down  with  a  man's  weight.  I  have  known  horses  that 
would  not  pull  freely  'till  they  had  "warmed  in  the 
collar,"  as  the  grooms  say. 

Regarding  harnessing,  nearly  every  man  who  uses  a 
horse  would  say,  that  he  can  harness  one  properly,  when 
the  fact  is  that  many  professional  grooms  are  not  aware 
when  it  is  rightly  done.  For  trotters,  especially,  the 
greatest  care  should  be  observed  that  every  strap  is  in  its 
right  place,  and  every  billet  buckled  in  its  proper  hole. 
When  on,  the  whole  suit  ought  to  fit  like  a  lady's  glove, 
without  confining  the  animal  by  a  pressure  of  buckles, 


230  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

drawn  as  tightly  as  the  force  of  the  groom  will  permit. 
The  bridle  ought  to  be  so  adjusted  that  the  bit  will  not 
draw  into  the  corners  of  the  mouth,  yet  close  enough,  so 
that  the  winkers  or  blinds  will  have  the  right  set — the 
fore-top  straightened  below  the  brow  band  so  that  the 
hairs  will  not  be  broken.  The  breast-collar  should  come 
above  the  points  of  the  shoulders,  without  encroaching  on 
the  windpipe.  There  is  just  the  right  place  for  the  back 
pad  on  every  horse,  viz. :  where  the  springing  of  the 
withers  and  the  swelling  of  the  ribs  make  it  sit  easily ; 
this  is,  of  course,  regulated  by  the  length  of  the  crupper 
strap.  The  breeching  ought  to  be  about  level  with  the 
stifles. 

When  the  horse  has  been  placed  in  the  shafts — the 
reins  having  been  run  through  the  martingale  rings  and 
terrets — first  fasten  the  traces  to  the  whiffletree,  then 
buckle  the  false  girth.  I  follow  this  plan  with  horses 
that  are  restive  when  being  hitched  to  the  sulky,  for 
should  they  want  to  start,  you  are  in  a  situation  to  humor 
them.  Now  buckle  the  holdbacks,  placing  them  under 
the  traces,  which  will  prevent  the  breeching  flying  up, 
giving,  of  course,  plenty  of  room.  The  breeching  ought 
to  be  so  loose  that  you  can  draw  it  several  inches  away 
from  the  quarters.  Snubbing-straps  I  never  use,  having 
found  that,  when  the  martingale  is  at  its  proper  length, 
there  will  be  no  undue  pull  on  the  girth.  I  think  many 
are  prone  to  err  in  shortening  the  martingale  so  as  to 
make  quite  a  sharp  angle  in  the  reins,  reasoning,  that 
because  a  horse  throws  his  head  up  in  a  break,  there 
must  be  a  downward  pull  to  "catch  him."  It  is  true,  that, 
with  a  short  martingale,  you  get  something  of  a  pulley 
purchase,  perhaps  not  greatly  augmenting  your  strength, 
but  allowing  you  to  hold  all  you  get.  I  am  doubtful, 
however,  if  the  advantage  gained  is  commensurate  with 
the  injury  done.  The  horse,  unable  to  keep  his  feet,  either 


BECOVEKING     FKOM     A     BEEAK.  231 

from  the  pace  being  too  rapid,  making  a  mis-step,  or  be- 
coming tired,  breaks.  His  recollections  are  of  being  pun- 
ished by  having  the  bit  twitched  about  in  his  mouth,  and 
he  throws  his  head  up  to  bring  the  bit  on  the  least  sensi- 
tive part.  The  fear  overcomes  his  judgment,  and  he  com- 
pletely loses  his  presence  of  mind,  making  a  "  terrible  bad 
break."  The  dead  pull  the  short  martingale  produces 
further  worries  him,  and  he  tries,  with  short,  sudden  jerks 
of  his  head  to  free  himself  from  the  restraint.  With  the 
lengthened  martingale  there  is  only  a  little  friction  be- 
tween the  rein  and  ring — not  sufficient  to  misplace  the 
girth.  We  get  far  better  control  of  the  horse's  head,  and 
there  is  not  near  the  danger  of  doubling  him  up,  so  that 
he  will  strike  his  knee  or  grab  his  quarters. 

Drivers  have  generally  a  favorite  way,  peculiar  to  them- 
selves, of  recovering  a  horse  from  a  break.  One  throws 
his  body  back  in  the  sulky,  and  his  whole  weight  on  one 
rein,  drawing  the  horse's  head  around  till  his  neck  forms 
the  arc  of  a  circle,  with  a  very  short  radius.  Another 
snatches  him  from  one  side  to  the  other,  while  a  third 
yaws  him  about  as  far  as  the  width  of  the  track  will 
permit.  My  plan  is  varied.  If  a  horse  breaks  when  I 
have  been  forced  to  pull  him  sharply,  to  keep  him  on  his 
feet,  I  immediately  slacken  the  rein,  giving  him  the  free 
use  of  his  head,  as  it  is  possible  he  may  have  been  par- 
tially choking  under  the  pull.  Throwing  his  nose  out  is  a 
great  relief  to  him  under  these  circumstances.  Should  he 
not  catch  of  his  own  accord  after  going  a  few  lengths,  I 
give  him  a  little  shake  with  one  rein,  as  a  reminder  that 
he  is  doing  wrong,  accompanied  by  a  gentle  pull,  which 
will  always  succeed  in  those  horses  I  have  worked  myself. 
If  a  horse  is  overtrotting,  and  flies  up  excited,  a  sharp, 
strong  pull,  lifting  him,  as  it  were,  back  to  his  trotting- 
gait  is  often  successful,  without  the  loss  of  much  ground. 
As  soon  as  you  feel  him  settled,  ease  away  gradually  till 


232  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

he  goes  on  with  as  light  a  pull  as  is  compatible.  Horses 
that  are  not  addicted  to  pulling,  frequently  take  a  very 
sharp  hold  of  the  iron  when  scoring,  or  in  the  first  start 
of  a  race.  With  these  we  will  have  to  be  very  gentle, 
ruffling  them  as  little  as  possible,  and  yet  suffering  them 
to  come  to  the  score  at  their  best  flight  of  speed.  It  is  a 
great  thing  to  have  a  horse  that  will  go  from  the  score 
well,  enabling  you  to  make  choice  of  the  track,  and  ob- 
taining other  advantages  that  a  leading  horse  always  pos- 
sesses. The  pull  we  were  forced  to  give  at  the  outset  can 
soon  be  slackened,  provided  we  have  been  lucky  enough 
not  to  have  made  a  mistake.  Though  I  find  I  am  again 
traveling  away  from  the  subject,  I  thought  it  a  good  time 
to  say  something  about  harnessing  when  the  union  be- 
tween martingales  and  breaking  presented  itself.  There 
is  much  yet  to  think  about  relative  to  the  leathern  equip- 
ments ;  and  after  Jane  displays  her  capabilities,  and  you 
jog  Falcon  and  Never  Mind,  we  will  resume  the  consider- 
ation of  martingales,  check  reins,  and  blinders. 

PUPIL. — I  want  to  recall  your  promise,  that  you  would 
devise  a  way  that  I  could  exercise  Jane  without  danger 
of  her  running  away.  I  am  not  afraid  of  her  absolutely 
getting  away  with  me,  though  I  am  fearful  of  injuring  her 
mouth  in  restraining  her. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  see  you  have  followed  instructions  in 
putting  a  chain-bit  in  her  mouth.  Hitch  her  to  the  wagon 
and  I  will  jog  her  myself,  and  my  word  for  it,  she  goes  as 
quietly  as  can  be  expected. 

There,  you  see  she  did  not  act  badly,  only  compelling 
me  to  bring  her  to  a  stop  a  few  times  before  she  learned 
that  all  that  I  required  was  for  her  to  go  slow.  It  is  true, 
that,  when  I  turned  her  around  to  try  her  the  right  way 
of  the  track,  she  was  somewhat  excited.  But  finding, 
that  I  would  permit  her  to  walk  only,  she  acquiesced  like 
the  well-bred  one  she  is.  She  must  make  her  mark,  if  for 


GOVEENING     THE     TEMPEE.  233 

no  other  reason  than  the  name  she  wears,  and  if  she 
should  show  herself  worthy,  forgeting  all  her  bad  habits, 
and  going  "alarmingly  fast,"  we  will  add  the  surname, 
and  she  shall  wear  the  best  suit  of  clothes  that  can  be 
bought  to  deck  her  ladyship,  embroidered  by  the  fair  fin- 
gers that  can  do  it  so  well. 

The  few  steps  she  took,  when  I  first  turned  her  around, 
convinced  me,  that  she  has  any  amount  of  power,  which 
we  must  make  available  by  proper  teaching. 

I  feel  safe  in  guaranteeing,  that  she  will  not  strike  her 
knee.  Still  we  will  let  her  wear  a  boot  on  the  one  that  is 
slightly  enlarged,  whenever  we  permit  her  to  go  fast 
enough  to  endanger  it.  I  will  now  see  you  drive  the 
others. 

PUPIL. — You  must  have  put  some  potent  charm  on  the 
Falcon,  as  I  never  knew  him  to  jog  so  quietly  on  the  track 
before.  This  must  be  one  of  his  white  days. 

PRECEPTOR. — Or  rather  say  of  yours.  It  is  hard  to  con- 
vince a  person  of  the  absolute  requirement  there  is  to 
govern  the  temper  when  handling  horses.  You  got  into 
the  sulky,  knowing,  that  every  motion  of  you  and  the 
horse  was  to  be  closely  watched ;  so  you  were  constrained 
to  be  on  your  good  behavior.  You  governed  him  by  kind 
words  and  gentle  tones,  in  lieu  of  pulling  at  the  bit.  The 
.good  effects  you  have  seen.  Should  you  ever  feel  a  little 
cross-grained,  delay  exercising  till  the  black  fit  is  off.  If 
you  have  not  an  Annot  Lyle  to  charm  you  out  of  the 
sulks,  rely  on  reason  to  guide  you,  but  above  everything 
else,  visit  not  your  wrath  on  the  horses.  You  cannot  al- 
.  ways  expect  them  to  understand  every  command,  and 
should  they  appear  disobedient,  rely  entirely  on  kindness. 
It  is  true  that  there  must  be  punishments,  as  well  as  re- 
wards. Be  convinced  of  your  own  temper  before  you 
strike.  Mark  me,  that  we  are  going  to  cure  these  horses 
of  all  former  bad  habits  by  uniform  kindness,  and  I  urge 


234  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

on  your  consideration,  more  strenuously  than  circum- 
stances will  warrant,  the  necessity  of  uniformity  of  temper. 
A  blow,  a  passionate  jerk  of  the  reins,  even  a  harsh  word, 
might  render  nugatory  the  teachings  of  weeks.  Having 
once  been  in  rebellion,  they  will  be  incited  thereto  again, 
by  treatment  analogous  to  that  which  was  the  primary 
cause,  only  it  will  require  less  ill  usage  to  spoil  them  than 
it  did  on  the  start.  Never  Mind  you  will  drive  a  trifle 
faster  than  you  did  the  Falcon,  ending  your  drive  when 
you  have  gone  five  miles.  Should  the  weather  be  favor- 
able, we  will  sweat  him  day  after  to-morrow,  and  again  in 
a  week  from  that  time.  The  Falcon  and  Jane  will  then 
also  be  ready  to  lose  part  of  their  surplus. 

PUPIL. — You  need  not  apologize  for  urging  the  neces- 
sity of  keeping  my  temper.  Having  a  fair  command  of 
it  there  are  yet  times  when  I  find  it  difficult  to  keep  it  in 
subjection.  I  feel,  that  it  is  more  important  with  those 
horses  that  have  suffered  abuse,  than  even  with  the  colts, 
as  there  is  always  more  danger  from  a  relapse,  than  from 
the  disease  at  first. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  high-headed  brown  fellow  certainly 
makes  a  fine  appearance ;  and,  to  take  the  motto  of  his 
native  State  as  a  password,  we  will  try  "  to  guide "  him  so 
that  he  may  be  no  discredit  to  the  land  that  has  turned 
out  several  of  our  best  trotters.  They  were  fortunate  in 
obtaining  some  of  the  Messenger  blood  from  near  the 
source  of  the  stream,  and,  having  the  blood,  have  made 
the  most  of  their  inhospitable  climate,  by  taking  advantage 
of  the  frozen  surface  of  their  rivers  to  teach  the  scions  of 
a  noble  horse  to  trot,  that  otherwise  would  have  been 
compelled  to  haul  the  plough  or  wagon  all  their  lives.  I 
have  heard  a  good  deal  of  argument  whether  it  was  better 
to  drive  a  horse  on  the  ice  or  not.  Never  having  tried 
the  experiment,  I  can  only  hazard  an  opinion.  It  appears 


DRIVING     OK     THE     ICE.  235 

as  if  the  unyielding  thick  ice  would  be  rather  a  dangerous 
place  for  the  feet  and  legs. 

PUPIL. — I  am  inclined  to  think  that,  in  the  northern  lati- 
tudes, the  ice  might  be  taken  advantage  of  for  teaching 
colts  to  trot,  without  being  detrimental  to  the  feet  or  legs. 
I  have  tried  it  a  little,  and  found  by  proper  shoeing  the 
jar  was  in  a  great  measure  taken  offj  and  they  could  go 
with  more  freedom  than  on  the  frozen  roads.  The  shoe  I 
have  found  best  adapted  to  ice  work,  has  a  little  resem- 
blance to  the  flanged  one  we  are  now  using.  The  toe-calk 
is  made  to  extend  quite  a  distance  round  the  shoe,  and  the 
heel  ones  are  set  parallel  with  the  foot,  and  nearly  an  inch 
long.  They  are  made  of  steel,  and  kept  very  sharp,  so 
that  the  cutting  into  the  ice  not  only  gives  a  better  hold, 
but  takes  off  a  great  deal  of  the  concussion.  I  had  an  eye 
to  the  benefit  of  ice  driving,  when  locating  the  breeding- 
farm  near  the  Mississippi.  The  river  itself  is  apt  to  close 
up  rough,  from  the  running  ice  pushing  huge  cakes  over 
one  another.  On  the  large  island,  however,  there  are  lakes 
not  disturbed  by  the  current,  where  the  ice  is  smooth,  and 
the  woods  afford  protection  from  the  wind. 

One  season  I  broke  three  colts  that  were  of  the  same  age, 
and  very  closely  matched  in  speed.  Two  of  these  I  let 
run  all  winter ;  the  third  I  had  shod,  and  drove  her  as 
occasion  required — chiefly  to  the  little  town  a  couple  of 
miles  off.  By  making  a  circuit,  I  could  drive  on  a  bayou 
where  the  ice  was  good,  and  where  I  would  let  her  step 
along.  She  was  taken  out  at  irregular  intervals,  and 
driven  only  when  her  services  were  needed.  Neither  had 
she  any  better  care  than  the  others.  When  brought  in,  a 
blanket  was  thrown  over  her  till  she  became  dry,  when  it 
was  removed.  The  others  were  turned  out  of  their  stalls 
into  the  field  every  day  that  was  not  stormy.  All  were  fed 
alike.  As  the  spring  opened,  the  colt's  shoes  were  pulled 
off,  and  she  was  allowed  to  run  two  or  three  weeks  after 


236  HOKSE     PORTRAITURE. 

the  other  two  were  taken  up.  She  soon  trotted  right  over 
the  others,  and  kept  her  lead  all  summer.  This  impressed 
me  so  highly  with  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  driving 
on  the  ice,  that  I  am  determined  to  pursue  it  when  I  got 
back  home,  and  by  giving  it  a  fair  trial  I  think  I  will  be 
able  to  decide  in  relation  to  its  advantages.  I  think  the 
smooth  surface  gave  her  confidence,  after  the  novelty  of 
the  situation  had  worn  off.  Some  cold  mornings  the  ice 
would  crackle  and  rumble  as  though  an  earthquake  was 
breaking  up  the  foundations  of  the  river.  This  would 
startle  the  colt,  and  she  would  dart  away  frightened, 
though  she  very  soon  became  accustomed  to  the  noise,  and 
paid  no  further  attention  to  it.  I  noticed  she  would  bear 
more  urging  without  breaking  than  when  on  the  track. 
There  was  a  marked  difference  in  her  action  the  following 
summer — keeping  her  feet  under  her  better,  and  going 
more  like  a  trotter  in  every  particular.  The  treatment 
for  horses  trained  in  this  way  would  have  to  be  very  dif- 
ferent, of  course,  than  if  the  weather  were  warm  ;  walking 
would  be  inadmissible,  and  much  grooming  would  be  an 
injury,  by  breaking  the  hair.  Large,  soft  blankets,  to  ab- 
sorb the  perspiration,  and  permit  the.nioisture  to  evapo- 
rate, would  be  essential.  The  stable  would  have  to  be 
moderately  warm,  with  plenty  of  straw  to  make  a  bed 
that  would  cover  their  knees  as  they  stood. 

PEECEPTOE. — Anything  I  could  say  regarding  driving  on 
the  ice  would  only  be  surmise.  Though  I  cannot  see  any 
reason  why  colts  would  not  be  benefited  by  the  winter's 
schooling,  I  would  not  like  to  make  the  lessons  very 
severe,  although  when  I  found  the  limbs  and  feet  were  un- 
injured,  there  would  not  be  a  great  deal  to  fear  otherwise. 
The  rapid  inhalation  of  very  cold  air  might  be  prejudicial 
to  the  lungs,  which  would  be  obviated  by  making  the 
brushes  very  short.  Skating  is  admitted  to  be  a  healthy 
recreation,  provided  proper  precautions  are  taken  to  keep 


TKOTT1KG    ON    THE    CHICAGO    EIVEE.     287 

the  extremities  warm  ;  and  of  course,  the  frozen  air  has  to 
be  breathed  by  the  bipid,  in,  perhaps,  as  rapid  draughts 
as  the  young  trotter  would  require.  I  shall  await  your 
further  experiments  with  some  anxiety,  as  it  would  be  a 
great  gaining  of  time,  if  we  could  make  the  winter  months 
available  for  continuing  our  lessons. 

PUPIL, — The  Chicago  River,  in  the  winter  months,  is  fre- 
quently a  very  animated  scene.  It  runs  nearly  through 
the  centre  of  the  city,  its  two  branches  uniting  some  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  above  its  confluence  with  the  lake,  di- 
viding the  town  into  three  compartments,  known  as  the 
south,  west,  and  north  sides.  It  is  one  of  the  main  causes 
of  Chicago's  greatness,  making  not  only  one  of  the  finest 
harbors  in  the  world,  but  giving  facilities  for  the  handling 
of  grain,  lumber,  and  merchandise,  that  are  unequaled  in 
any  place  that  I  know  of.  There  are  upwards  of  twelve 
miles  of  docks,  with  numerous  large  elevators,  whence  the 
grain  is  taken  from  the  cars,  and  vessels  loaded  so  rapidly, 
that  millions  of  bushels  are  transferred,  without  causing 
any  more  bustle  than  is  apparent  every  day.  Those  en- 
gaged in  the  business  are  the  only  ones  cognizant  of  any 
greater  degree  of  activity  than  usually  characterizes  the 
place,  although  shipping  corn  and  wheat  enough  in  one 
day  to  equal  the  whole  amount  grown  in  some  of  the  New 
England  States.  Five  drawbridges  span  its  turbid  wave  in 
the  distance  of  a  mile  ;  and  when  the  ice  is  good,  and  the 
scores  of  fast  horses  are  dashing  rapidly  below  them,throngs 
of  people  are  congregated  to  watch  the  exciting  spectacle. 

Here  is  a  pair  with  grand  and  lofty  action,  keeping  step 
with  the  regularity  of  trained  soldiers :  the  merry  bells 
jingling  in  cadence  to  the  measured  footfalls.  The  wolf 
robes  are  comfortably  tucked  around  the  fotm  of  one  of 
the  fairest  daughters  of  the  garden  city,  and  the  furred 
and  gauntleted  driver  seems  to  be  at  a  loss  which  to  be 
most  proud  of,  the  costly  turn-out,  or  the  beautiful  lady  at 

11 


238  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

Ms  side.  They  are  going  fast;  but  a  few  rods  behind  them 
a  pair  of  small  chestnuts,  with  flowing  manes  and  nervous 
step,  are  rapidly  approaching.  This  sleigh  has  also  two 
inmates,  muffled  so  closely,  that  you  can  only  see  the  blue, 
good-humored  eyes  of  the  driver,  contrasted  with  the 
small,  black  and  glistening  orbs  of  his  companion,  that 
are  fairly  dancing  with  excitement  at  the  prospect  of  a 
brush.  As  soon  as  the  leader  is  aware  of  their  proximity, 
the  tapering  whip  is  allowed  to  fall  lightly  on  the  quarters 
of  his  gallant  steeds,  and  they  respond  by  an  increased 
flight  of  speed.  It  is  in  vain  :  the  chesnuts'  heads  are  oppo- 
site the  cutter  as  they  rush  under  Clark-street  Bridge — as 
they  emerge  from  the  shadow,  they  are  lapped,  and  in  the 
next  one  hundred  yards  are  gliding  rapidly  away,  the 
grand  bays  pawing  frantically  in  the  air.  Yonder  come 
two  of  the  fastest,  rigged  to  skeleton  sleighs.  Many  has 
been  the  boast  of  what  each  could  do  with  the  other  when 
they  came  together ;  yet  neither  seems  anxious  to  bring 
it  to  a  practical  test.  They  are  jogging  along  quietly,  when 
one  driver  chirrups  at  his  horse,  and  he  darts  away  at  a 
forty  clip  ;  but  he  soon  pulls  him  up,  and  the  other  goes 
through  the  same  maneuver.  Once  more  they  are  in 
juxtaposition,  and  away  they  go.  How  rapidly  they  over- 
haul those  that  seemed  to  be  going  so  fast !  Still  they  are 
head  and  head.  The  words  of  encouragement  of  their 
respective  drivers  give  place  to  quick,  sharp  yells,  and 
the  whips  are  also  brought  in  requisition.  How  eagerly 
they  strain  for  mastery!  One  has  got  the  length  of  his 
neck  in  advance,  and  seems  still  to  be  gaining  by  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  at  a  stride,  when  up  he  goes ;  his  competitor 
has  a  clear  length  the  lead  before  the  other  recovers  ;  but 
when  he  does  regain  his  trot,  he  is  going  faster  than  ever. 
The  people  on  the  bridges  are  shouting  with  excitement; 
and  from  the  decks  of  the  vessels,  that  are  now  motionless, 
wedged  in  the  frigid  barrier,  come  corresponding  shouts, 


RACING     ON     THE     ICE.  239 

The  other  actors  in  this  gliding  panorama  have  pulled 
their  horses  to  a  slow  pace,  and  are  intently  watching  the 
progress  of  the  race.  As  the  racers  pass  the  victorious 
chestnuts,  a  clear,  ringing  voice  t  issues  from  below  the 
sparkling  eyes  :  "A  thousand  dollars  to  five  hundred  tha^ 
Medoc  pops  it  to  him."  There  are  no  such  odds,  for  as  they 
make  the  turn  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  they  are  as  closely 
locked  as  Grey  Eagle  and  Wagner  were  in  making 
their  final  brush,  when  strong,  stalwart  Kentuckians 
fainted  from  the  excitement  of  witnessing  the  continued 
struggle.  "We  catch  the  last  glimpse  of  them  as  they  fly 
by  the  South  Branch,  and  we  are  left  to  imagine  which 
"will  be  crowned  the  victor.  There  must  be  some  strange 
fascination  in  watching  these  contests  :  regardless  of  the 
cold,  we  keep  our  station  on  the  bridge,  till  the  sun's  rays 
are  slanting  through  the  white  vapor,  and  the  shadows  are 
falling  thick  and  heavy  from  the  huge  warehouses,  and  lie 
in  patches  on  the  white  ice. 

PEECEPTOR. — And  surely,  any  one  with  a  spark  of  mer- 
cury in  his  composition,  would  endure  a  good  deal  of  cold 
to  see  the  trotters  of  a  great  city  exercising  where  he  could 
obtain  such  a  view  of  them.  From  your  description,  I 
judge  there  is  nothing  in  the  way,  save  the  performers 
themselves. 

PUPIL. — They  have  the  whole  river  to  themselves,  and 
to  get  on  the  ice,  there  has  to  be  a  declined  bridge  of 
plank  made  from  the  higher  elevation  of  the  street. 
Teams,  and  those  engaged  in  business,  never  take  the 
trouble  to  drive  down.  I  saw  a  race  there  once  that  was 
thrilling.  Two  men  were  coming  down  the  river  with 
horses  that  were  very  nearly  matched,  and  the  contest 
was  close  and  exciting.  Before  arriving  at  Rush  Street, 
the  bit  of  one  of  the  horses  parted  in  his  mouth,  and  he 
run  away.  To  ease  the  labor  of  driving,  the  man  had 
knotted  the  reins  around  his  back,  and  they  had  become 


240  HOKSE     POKTKAITURE. 

so  entangled,  that  in  his  excitement  he  could  not  undo 
them.  On  the  horse  sped,  and  of  course  it  would  have 
been  madness  to  have  jumped  out  of  the  sleigh,  only  to 
be  hauled  along  by  the  firmly  twisted  reins. 

The  frantic  animal,  under  no  control,  rushed  madly 
along ;  the  point,  on  which  the  lighthouse  stands,  was 
passed,  and  he  made  his  way  directly  for  the  blue  water 
that  was  surging  in  the  wintry  wind.  It  was  yet  some 
distance  off,  but  the  fearful  rate,  at  which  the  scared  horse 
ran  would  soon  carry  him  over  the  intervening  space. 
Soon  the  dashing  of  the  waves,  as  they  curled,  foamed,  and 
hissed  over  the  frail  barrier,  was  heard,  mingling  their 
sound  with  the  plunge  of  the  horse's  feet,  and  the  crisping 
drag  of  the  runners  slightly  cutting  the  hard  surface.  Only 
a  few  more  bounds  and  they  would  be  engulfed  in  the  cold 
water.  The  driver  had  called  and  shrieked  at  the  horse 
till  he  was  hoarse,  and  now  sat  with  the  calmness  of  de- 
spair, with  no  hope  that  anything  could  avert  the  fearful 
end.  He  speculated  on  the  time  he  would  have  to  endure 
the  embrace  of  the  watery  shroud,  before  he  became  un- 
conscious, and  wondered  how  long  it  would  take  him  to 
sink  to  the  bottom  and  be  at  rest.  He  shut  his  eyes,  feel- 
ing there  would  be  some  relief  in  not  seeing  the  fatal 
plunge.  There  was  a  shock — he  felt  the  sleigh  upsetting, 
and  his  recollections  were  at  an  end.  The  horse  had  at 
last  become  aware  that  he  was  going  to  run  into  the  water, 
and  turning  just  on  the  brink  of  the  ice,  had  necirly  cap- 
sized the  cutter.  He  ran  down  the  lake  shore,  where  he 
was  stopped,  the  man  still  being  in  a  swoon.  No  one 
could  ever  persuade  him  to  drive  on  the  ice  again. 

PEECEPTOK. — He  ought  to  have  had  more  sense -than  to 
jepoardize  his  life  by  fastening  the  reins  to  his  body.  I 
have  seen  men  run  their  wrists  through  the  hand-pieces, 
taking  a  twist  in  them,  to  drive  a  hard  puller ;  it  always 
makes  me  nervous  to  witness  it.  There  is  danger  enough 


RASCALITIES     OF     THE    TTJEF.  241 

in  driving,  without  taking  the  chance  of  being  fastened  to 
a  runaway  horse.  With  such  a  winter's  drive  as  you  speak 
of,  and  good  summer  roads,  there  will  likely  be  always  a 
market  in  Chicago  for  trotters. 

PUPIL. — There  is  not  much  doubt  of  that.  At  times  I 
have  been  fearful  that  the  sharp  practice  of  some — who 
ought  to  be  below  the  turf  instead  of  on  it — would  disgust 
the  men  who  uphold  and  give  countenance  to  the  sport,  and 
that  trotters  would  depreciate  in  value,  until  the  price  would 
no  longer  pay  for  breeding  and  training.  Should  these 
villainies  finally  drive  the  public  from  patronizing  the  trot- 
ting parks,  the  inquiry  there  will  be,  by  those  living  in  the 
larger  towns  and  cities,  for  superior  roadsters,  will  tend  to 
keep  prices  up  ;  but  the  large  prices  that  are  paid  at  the 
present  day  for  the  fastest  trotters,  in  that  case,  could  not 
be  looked  for. 

PRECEPTOR. — As  long  as  our  wealthy  men  take  the  pleas- 
ure they  now  do  in  fast  driving,  there  will  always  be  a 
remunerating  market.  As  to  the  rascalities  that  are  some- 
times practiced  on  the  turf,  it  is  a  very  unpleasant  subject 
even  to  talk  about.  I  hope  there  will  be  a  joint  action  of 
the  clubs  over  the  country  to  eradicate  them.  A  confed- 
eration of  the  different  clubs  and  driving-park  associations 
would  be  the  most  effective  cure.  If  ruling  off  one  course 
included  banishment  from  all,  there  would  be  few  bold 
enough  to  take  the  chances  of  detection. 

It  is  now  approaching  the  time  for  our  noontide  meal. 
After  discussing  that,  we  will  see  if  we  cannot  "know  of 
something  for  the  good"  of  our  horses,  and  such  as  will 
be  pleasanter  to  think  of  than  the  knaveries  of  mankind. 


CHAPTEE   XVIII. 

THE  MARTINGALE — BLINDERS — BLIND  AND  OPEN  BRIDLES — FEED- 
ING — OATS  AND  HOMINY. 

PRECEPTOR. — Before  eating  dinner,  I  felt  a  little  out  of 
hnmor.  The  recollections  of  some  transactions  worried 
me.  I  am  pleased  to  say  that  I  have  recovered  my  equa- 
nimity, and  after  inhaling  the  aroma  of  this  finely  flavored 
cigar,  my  brain  will  be  clear  enough  to  discuss  any  topic 
with  which  I  am  acquainted.  By  the  way,  you  must  have 
obtained  another  supply  of  cigars.  I  see  your  favorite  clay 
pipe  is  laid  aside,  and  you  are  smoking  with  evident  satis- 
faction the  fellow  to  this. 

PUPIL. — The  bale  of  Killikinick,  that  was  flavored  so  ex- 
actly to  my  taste,  has  unfortunately  been  consumed.  The 
visions  that  have  been  pictured  on  my  brain,  while  assist- 
ing at  its  empyreal  ceremonies,  have  not  been  so  evanes- 
cent. While  you  were  gone,  and  I  was  left  to  my  solitary 
dreamings,  the  after-dinner  smoke  was  among  the  pleas- 
antest  moments  of  the  day.  I  am  not  going  to  inflict  the 
recollections  of  these  phantasies  on  you  now,  though  I 
watched  the  decrease  of  my  treasure,  much  as  the  cast- 
away sailor  would  look  at  the  daily  diminishing  supply  of 
water.  I  could  not  expect  to  get  any  more,  as  the  fabri- 
cators have  gone  out  of  the  business,  and  I  knew  of  none 
others  possessing  the  same  cunning  skill  at  selecting  the 
leaves  from  a  year's  purchase,  having  them  manufactured 
with  the  same  care,  and  apportioning  the  fragrant  spices 
of  the  Orient  so  exactly  that  the  compound  became  perfec- 


THE     TOBACCO     B  ORATION.  243 

tion  itself.  The  last  bright  leaf  was  burning  in  my  pipe, 
when  there  came  a  package  by  express,  all  the  way  from 
Chicago.  I  directed  it  to  be  left  on  the  porch,  quietly  de- 
liberating on  what  it  could  contain,  determined  however, 
that  my  curiosity  should  be  unsatisfied  till  I  had  drawn 
the  last  perfumed  breath  from  the  fascinating  bowl.  I 
looked  at  the  package  with  some  misgivings,  thinking  that 
when  opened  it  would  disclose  some  great  sell  of  Capt. 
K — t  or  Charlie  C — k,  who  are  much  given  to  the  perpe- 
tration of  practical  jokes  and  hoaxes.  Both  of  them  would 
go  without  sleeping  or  eating  for  forty-eight  hours,  if  by 
that  means  they  could  raise  a  good  laugh  at  the  expense 
of  their  friends  ;  and,  to  catch  each  other,  would  even  go 
without  drinking  for  the  same  period.  I  looked  at  the 
box,  and  felt  convinced  it  was  a  hoax;  but  mustering  reso- 
lution to  know  the  worst,  I  got  a  hatchet,  and  brought  to 
view  such  an  array  of  cans  and  boxes,  that  I  was  fairly 
dazzled.  There  were  half-a-dozen  bright  canisters  marked 
"Banner,"  the  same  number  of  varnished  wood  ones,  filled 
with  the  finest  smoking  tobacco,  almost  equaling  that  so 
fondly  remembered.  Boxes — I  hardly  know  how  many — of 
Regalias,  Punches,  Principes,  &c.,  and  at  the  very  bottom, 
a  card:  "From  P ,  No.  48  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois." The  present  being  unexpected,  and  coming  so  op- 
portunely, made  it  doubly  acceptable ;  and  though  aware 

that  friend  P is  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  horse, 

was  unprepared  for  this  liberal  demonstration  to  one  who 
had  no  claims  upon  his  generosity.  I  opened  one  of  the 
boxes  of  Principes,  and  they  brought  back  the  sunny  days 
of  my  youth  so  vividly  .that  I  have  continued  to  smoke 
them  ever  since,  and  can  only  say  that  no  other  cigars 
would  have  seduced  me  from  my  vows  of  fidelity  to  the 
pipe.  When  I  saw  the  card,  I  needed  no  other  guarantee 
of  their  quality,  as  I  know  only  the  very  best  ever  came 
out  of  P — — 's  store. 


244  HOESE    POKTBAITUEE. 

PBECEPTOE — You  are  in  great  luck  in  the  tobacconists 
of  your  acquaintance  ;  and  I  hope,  when  sending  your  ac- 
knowledgments for  this  liberal  present,  you  will  also  em- 
body my  thanks  in  the  epistle.  These  cigars  are,  if  any- 
thing, superior  to  your  first  consignment,  and  would  tran- 
quilize  the  perturbed  spirit  of  a  man  who  had  just  lost  a 
race. 

Before  we  return  to  the  stable,  we  will  resume  the  con- 
sideration of  the  harness.  The  martingale  we  will  com- 
mence with,  in  relation  to  its  use  in  the  training  of  trot- 
ters. The  general  idea  has  been  that  it  could  not  be  done 
away  with  in  their  education,  or  its  future  services  be  dis- 
pensed with.  With  saddle  horses,  it  has  long  been  a 
mooted  question,  whether  it  is  advantageous  or  not.  In 
this  country,  in  the  region  where  the  best  saddle  horses 
are  found,  it  is  rare  to  see  it  forming  a  part  of  their  equip- 
ment. Those  who  have  written  on  the  subject  are  divided 
in  their  opinion,  and  while  one  questions  its  advantages, 
another  will  not  admit  that  it  can  be  prejudicial.  I  have 
embodied  most  of  my  ideas  regarding  it  in  the  conversa- 
tion this  morning,  adding  that  there  are  very  few  cases  in 
which  I  would  decline  using  it,  but  still  less  frequently 
can  I  see  any  benefit  in  having  it  very  short.  Harry 
Hieover,  in  alluding  to  martingales,  says  :  "  They  are  use- 
ful in  two  ways.  With  the  good  rider,  they  bring  and 
keep  the  horse's  head  in  its  proper  place  ;  and  with  the* 
bad  one,  they  prevent  the  badness  of  his  hands  pulling  it 
into  an  improper  one."  He  further  recommends  their  use 
in  all  cases,  even  on  a  horse  that  has  to  jump  high,  or  a 
distance,  as  crossing  a  stream.  -Carl  Benson,  commenting 
on  this  article  of  Mr.  Brindley's,  writes:  "As  to  long 
jumping,  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the  martin- 
gale is  a  hindrance  to  it,  especially  with  green  horses.  I 
have  seen  the  experiment  tried  too  often  ;  over  and  over 
again  I  have  seen  a  horse  baulking  at  a  ditch,  and  clear- 


THE     MAETI^GALE.  245 

ing  it  as  soon  as  the  martingale  was  removed.  Once  I 
saw  one  baulk  so  badly  that  he  ended  by  throwing  his 
rider,  who  was  a  very  good  horseman,  too  ;  but,  in  the 
conceit  of  good  horsemanship,  he  thought  he  could  force 
the  animal  over  with  the  martingale  on.  After  this  very 
decided  hoist,  he  took  my  advice  and  removed  it,  and  the 
horse  went  over  at  once,  and  I  have  seen  him  clear  some 
very  nasty  ditches,  and  ridden  him  over  not  a  few  myself." 
These  facts  instanced  by  Carl  Benson,  are  of  far  greater 
weight  than  mere  theorizing.  The  horse,  knowing  the 
martingale  cramped  and  fettered  him,  was  afraid  to  try 
the  leap,  if  even  it  was  within  his  power  to  do  it  easily. 
But  as  soon  as  the  martingale  was  removed,  his  confidence 
returned,  and  he  went  boldly  over.  The  trotter  requires 
the  full  use  of  himself,  as  well  as  the  steeple-chase  horse 
or  hunter,  and  is  much  benefited  by  being  harnessed  so 
that  he  has  all  the  freedom  admissible  with  being  proper- 
ly secured  to  the  vehicle.  My  idea,  then,  is,  that  ninety- 
nine  in  every  hundred  horses  require  the  martingale  to 
be  so  long  that  there  will  be  no  friction  between  the  reins 
and  rings,  as  long  as  his  head  is  carried  in  a  proper  posi- 
tion, and  win  only  act  when  the  head  is  elevated  to  an 
improper  height.  My  remarks  are,  of  course,  only  appli- 
caple  to  the  common  or  running  martingale.  To  the 
harness  horse,  the  fixed  or  standing  martingale  is  a  posi- 
tive injury,  as  I  have  never  seen  a  case  where  one  was  of 
service.  It  is  rarely  seen  except  in  the  harnessing  of  pairs, 
and  I  think  is  mainly  used  from,  the  fancied  improvement 
in  the  team's  appearance.  Some  horses  have  a  habit  of 
tossing  their  heads  up,  generally  for  the  momentary  relief 
afforded,  when  the  bearing-rein  is  too  tight.  The  sharp 
blow  the  bars  of  the  mouth  receive  from  the  bit,  when  fast- 
ened with  an  unyielding  strap,  cannot  do  much  good.  I 
have  heretofore  signified  my  preference  for  the  Kernbie 
Jackson  check,  when  a  horse  required  his  head  to  be  much 

11* 


246  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

elevated,  and  gave  my  reasons  at  the  time  for  estimating 
it  above  the  common  one.  It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me 
to  state  that  I  would  prefer  a  horse  that  needed  no  extra 
appliances  to  trot  at  his  fastest  gait,  and  if  I  had  an  ani- 
mal that  would  go  under  all  circumstances  better  without 
check  rein,  martingale,  or  blinders,  I  should  certainly  not 
put  them  on  him.  But,  unfortunately,  for  one  animal  of 
this  kind,  there  are  very  many  that  need  all  these  applian- 
ces, and  it  will  be  a  matter  requiring  much  study  and  fre- 
quent experiments,  to  know  the  best  manner  of  applying 
them,  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  each  particular  case. 

Fast  trotting  depending  so  much  on  the  education,  the 
first  lessons  are  of  the  greatest  moment  in  determining 
the  habits  of  a  horse  ;  therefore,  if  we  accustom  him  to  a 
high  check  when  we  commence,  the  chances  are  that  he 
will  always  need  its  support ;  or,  should  we  teach  him.  that 
a  heavy  pull  is  an  absolute  necessity,  when  he  is  trotting 
fast,  then  the  short  martingale  is  an  essential  part  of  the 
harnessing.  The  tension  is  steadier,  and  remedies,  in  a 
measure,  what  Harry  Hieover  would  call  "bad  hands."  If 
one  could  retain  the  natural  delicacy  of  the  horse's  mouth 
during  the  long  time  the  training  of  trotters  requires,  a 
great  point  would  be  gained.  The  admonitions  of  the  bit 
would  be  sooner  obeyed,  and  this  powerful  monitor  would 
have  a  tenfold  greater  effect.  Fashion  and  Miss  Foote — 
two  of  the  greatest  mares  on  the  American  turf — were  as 
easily  placed  in  their  races  as  though  they  were  reasoning 
beings,  permitting  their  riders  to  take  every  advantage  the 
changing  scenes  of  a  four-mile  contest  afforded,  and  I  am 
positive  in  my  belief  that  they  would  not  have  won  half 
the  races  they  did,  if  they  had  been  pulled  at  till  all  feeling 
in  their  mouths  was  gone.  Launcelbt,  a  brother  to  the 
celebrated  Touchstone,  was  the  very  reverse,  and  his  great 
powers  as  a  race  horse  were  almost  rendered  nugatory 
by  his  determination  to  run  away,  only  restrainable  by  a 


THE     USE     OF     BLINDERS.  247 

powerful  curb.  It  is  no  argument,  because  some  of  the 
best  and  fastest  horses  have  been  great  pullers,  that 
it  is  not  a  material  injury  to  speed,  as  it  is  almost  a  cer- 
tainty that  they  would  have  gone  still  faster  if  easier  driven. 
But  even  granting  that  it  does  not  meterially  effect  the 
horse,  the  driver  assuredly  would  be  in  a  better  plight  to 
win,  if  he  had  been  more  at  his  ease  when  driving  the 
heat. 

A  great  deal  has  been  written  and  said  relative  to  the 
use  of  blinders.  While  the  arguments  for  their  discontin- 
uance are  apparently  the  stronger,  I  must  acknowledge 
that,  in  my  practice,  more  horses  have  gone  better  with 
than  without  them.  It  is  a  great  point  with  me  to  have  a, 
bridle  "  sit  well "  on  a  horse's  head  ;  and  if  it  has  not  been 
properly  constructed,  ah1  our  efforts  to  adjust  it  will  be  fu- 
tile ;  and  when  well  made,  the  greatest  care  must  be  taken 
that  the  bit  is  in  the  right  place,  and  that  the  side-pieces, 
and  the  strap  that  is  attached  to  the  front  part  of  the 
blinders,  are  buckled  just  where  they  ought  to  be.  The 
blind  itself  should  be  of  sufficient  size  to  completely  hide 
from  the  horse  everything  that  is  behind  him,  and  con- 
fine his  range  of  vision  so  that  it  will  be  circumscribed  by 
about  sixty  degrees,  or  the  sixth  part  of  a  circle.  This 
will  give  the  blind  flare  enough,  so  that  it  will  merely 
shade  the  eye,  without  the  least  possible  chance  of  injuring 
it  by  pressure,  or  by  want  of  circulation  of  air.  I  find  that 
horses  driven  with  an  open  bridle  are  not  so  attentive  to 
their  business,  watching  everything  that  comes  under  their 
observation,  and  paying  particular  attention  to  every  mo- 
tion their  driver  makes.  While  I  am  willing  to  gratify 
this  propensity,  when  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  lessons 
I  am  giving,  I  want  to  control  it  when  in  the  harness,  and 
prefer  at  that  time  to  have  the  undivided  attention  of  niy 
pupils.  Each  horse  should  have  his  own  bridle.  To  have 
a  harness  apiece  would  still  be  better,  but  this  would  in- 


248  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

crease  the  cost  of  fixtures  so  much  that  in  a  large  stable 
the  amount  necessary  to  equip  the  horses  would  be  quite 
onerous.  Horses  that  are  nearly  of  a  size  can  be  used  in 
the  same  harness,  without  much  change.  Horses,  how- 
ever, with  the  same  sized  heads  might  not  be  suited  to 
the  same  bridle.  The  angle  of  the  lips  might  be  deeper 
in  the  one,  and  the  eyes  nearer  the  poll  in  the  other,  thus 
requiring  a  change  in  {he  length  of  the  billet  that  holds 
the  bit.  The  bit  itself  should  also  be  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  the  horse,  and  the  bearing-rein  always  of  the 
length  thought  best. 

PUPIL. — In  breaking  colts,  I  have  found  it  advisable  to 
accustom  them  to  both  blind  and  open  bridles,  and  have 
discovered  that  while  one  could  hardly  be  harnessed  with 
liis  eyes  partially  blinded,  another  would  go  more  quicldy 
Vfhen  he  could  only  see  ahead.  Extremely  nervous  or 
timid  colts  are  more  easily  broken  with  an  open  bridle, 
while  those  that  shy,  I  find,  are  less  liable  to  do  so  with 
blinders.  I  have  a  large,  strong,  thoroughbred  colt,  three 
3  ears  old,  that  I  got  from  an  old  friend  of  mine,  who  had 
suffered  him  to  grow  to  that  age  without  his  ever  having 
)  i  sen  in  a  stable.  When  I  saw  him,  he  was  tied  up  with  a 
ptrong  halter ;  and  as  I  noticed  he  did  not  like  the  ap- 
proach of  a  stranger,  I  contented  myself  with  admiring  his 
well-knit  frame,  and  a  general  wiriness  of  form  that  deno- 
ted his  breeding  and  activity.  I  bargained  for  half  of 
him,  the  old  gentlemen  being  determined  to  retain  the  oth- 
er moiety.  He  brought  him  to  my  place  when  he  had  fin- 
ished planting  his  corn,  leading  him  beside  a  large  mule 
that  had  been  a  playmate  of  the  colt's  when  both  were 
running  out.  He  had  not  become  much  more  sociable 
than  when  I  first  saw  him,  but  would  trot  alongside  the 
mule,  showing  a  gait  "  that  pleased  me  exceedingly."  Hav- 
ing traveled  some  thirty  miles  that  day,  the  conclusion 
was  that  he  would  be  a  little  tired,  and  would  not  be  so 


BLIKDEKS     IK     BEEAKING     COLTS.  249 

troublesome  to  harness  as  when  fresher.  I  put  a  blind 
bridle  011  him,  when  not  another  strap  would  he  permit 
to  touch  him,  nor  would  he  allow  a  hand  even  to  be  placed 
on  his  neck.  We  took  the  bridle  off,  and  replaced  it  with 
an  open  one,  when  we  found  him  no  more  trouble  to  har- 
ness than  colts  usually  are.  He  bounced  about  when  first 
driven  011  the  track,  yet  it  was  not  long  before  he  became 
reconciled  to  the  hold-backs  and  breeching  dangling  about 
his  quarters.  After  several  days'  practice  with  the  har- 
ness on,  I  thought  it  time  to  put  him  in  the  shafts.  He 
became  perfectly  frantic  at  the  approach  of  the  sulky. 
When  we  pulled  it  along  in  front  of  him,  he  would  rest  his 
nose  on  the  seat,  perfectly  fearless  in  that  position  ;  yet 
the  moment  he  was  brought  before  it  he  became  as  wild 
as  ever. 

Quite  a  time  elapsed  before  we  attempted  to  put  him  in 
the  shafts  again,  practicing  him  daily  by  leading  him 
alongside  and  behind  the  sulky.  When  we  did,  we  got 
him  in  without  a  great  deal  of  bother  ;  I  did  not  think  it 
advisable  to  fasten  him  further  than  merely  placing  the 
points  of  the  shafts  in  the  loops,  a  man  on  each  side  hold- 
ing him  by  the  bit,  and  with  the  other  hand  keeping  the 
shaft  in  its  place,  so  that,  should  he  become  frightened,  we 
could  push  the  shafts  back,  and  he  would  be  free.  He 
walked  very  quietly  for  a  couple  of  hundred  yards,  and  I 
was  congratulating  myself  that  the  worst  was  past,  when, 
without  any  warning,  he  bounded  as  furiously  as  though 
he  had  been  struck  a  severe  blow  with  a  whip.  We  held 
on,  thinking  after  a  leap  or  two  he  would  become  tranqui- 
lized ;  but  seeing  him  lay  back  his  ears  on  his  poll,  and 
being  fearful  that  he  would  kick,  we  shoved  the  sulky  back. 
We  again  resumed  leading  him  near  the  sulky,  and  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  when  we  attempted  to  hitch  him  again, 
I  would  fasten  him  to  the  sulky,  as  I  thought  we  had 
made  a  mistake  in  not  doing  so  before.  So  I  strapped  up 


250  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

his  fore  leg,  and  took  him  in  a  smooth  field  inside  of  the 
track  ;  we  could  not  pull  the  sulky  up  behind  him,  as  on 
its  approach  he  would  spring  around  in  spite  of  the  efforts 
of  two  men  at  his  bit;  so  we  laid  the  shafts  across  his  back, 
and  by  carrying  the  wheels  around,  got  him  in  position. 
As  soon  as  the  traces  and  false  girth  were  fastened,  we 
secured  the  kicking-straps,  one  being  placed  across  the 
coupling,  and  the  other  just  above  the  setting  on  of  the 
tail,  the  ends  buckled  securely  round  the  shafts.  On 
moving  him — with  the  leg  still  up — he  commenced  kicking 
as  violently  as  his  cramped  situation  would  permit.  It 
was  as  much  as  a  man  could  do  to  hold  the  sulky  down 
with  all  the  leverage  his  grasp  of  the  hind  cross-bar  gave 
him.  The  colt  then  succeeded  in  slightly  splintering  the 
whiffletree  bar.  We  brought  him  on  the  track,  drove  him 
on  three  legs  till  he  ought  to  have  been  subdued,  but,  see- 
ing no  sign  of  it,  I  became  apprehensive  of  injuring  the 
fore  leg  that  was  doing  all  the  work,  and  let  the  other 
down,  taking  the  precaution  to  fasten  a  strap  to  his  fet- 
lock and  over  the  shaft,  so  that  the  foot  could  be  pulled 
up  at  pleasure.  It  would  be  tedious  to  recount  the  work 
we  gave  him  for  the  ensuing  three  weeks ;  but  we  got  him 
so  that  we  could  harness  and  hitch  him  without  difficulty, 
and  he  would  usually  drive  quietly. 

His  education  was  progressing  so  very  favorably  that 
when  leaving  home,  I  directed  the  young  man  who  assisted 
me  to  break  him — and  who  is  as  good  a  hand  to  work 
with  colts  as  I  ever  saw — to  drive  him  daily.  One  very 
windy  day  he  became  frightened,  broke  the  water-hook  of 
the  harness,  enabling  him  to  get.  his  head  down,  and  he 
began  kicking  so  furiously  that  he  threw  the  driver  out 
of  the  sulky.  The  kicking-straps,  fortunately,  holding, 
drew  the  axle  up  out  of  the  way  of  his  legs.  The  man  was 
unable  to  hold  him,  and  away  he  went.  After  he  ran  a 
short  distance,  he  stopped  kicking,  and  cantered  quickly 


PBEPABHSTG     FEED.  251 

up  to  the  gate  by  the  stable,  where  he  suffered  himself  to 
be  caught.  Nothing  was  broken  save  the  water-hook;  so, 
refastening  the  check,  the  man  drove  him  several  times 
around  the  track,  going  more  quietly  than  he  had  ever 
done  before.  I  learned  afterward  that,  to  halter  him, 
they  got  him  into  an  old  log  stable,  cramped  him  up  in  a 
corner  of  it  with  poles,  where  they  had  a  regular  battle 
royal,  the  colt  coming  out  victorious,  after  having  been 
scratched  all  up  with  the  knots  on  the  poles.  His  antip- 
athy to  the  blind  bridle  resulted  from  his  being  severely 
punished  with  one  on  to  make  him  tractable,  and  I  very 
much  doubt  whether  it  will  ever  be  possible  to  drive  him 
with  blinds.  His  not  being  able  to  hurt  himself,  from  the 
lacking-straps  throwing  the  sulky  out  of  the  way,  and  the 
harness  and  vehicle  being  strong  enough  not  to  break  in 
the  fracas,  had  a  beneficial  effect,  which  was  shown  by  his 
exhibiting  less  fear  at  the  approach  of  the  "sulky  after- 
ward. 

PRECEPTOE. — Kickiiig-straps  alone  wih1  not  hold  a  reso- 
lute, strong  horse,  if  he  gets  his  head  down.  With  it  up, 
his  power  to  do  mischief  is  very  limited.  We  will  go  to 
the  stable,  and  while  you  are  jogging  those  you  did  not 
work  this  morning,  I  will  superintend  the  cleaning  and 
preparation  of  feed.  This  has  not  been  necessary  hereto- 
fore, the  horses  having  all  been  fed  at  the  same  time. 
When  the  rattling  of  the  sieve  was  heard,  their  uneasiness 
was  soon  relieved  by  getting  their  respective  portions. 
Now,  to  get  along  with  the  driving  as  we  ought  to,  we  will 
have  to  postpone  the  feeding  of  those  that  are  exercising 
near  the  feeding-time,  and  it  is  important  that  those  who 
are  eating  should  not  disturb  the  others  in  the  stable. 
With  the  feed  prepared,  it  can  be  given  without  noise. 
Good,  clean,  sound  oats,  one  or  two  years  old,  that  have 
been  kept  in  the  stack  long  enough,  before  thrashing,  to 


252  HOESE    PORTBAITUBE. 

sweat  thoroughly,  and  weighing  from  thirty-five  to  forty 
pounds  to  the  measured  bushel,  is  the  first  consideration. 
We  will  use  a  strongly  made  forty-gallon  cask,  and  put 
in  it  two  bushels  of  oats,  two  of  the  boys,  with  shovels  or 
spades,  striking  alternate  blows,  or  rather  chopping,  till 
all  the  husks  are  loosened,  that  can  be  by  this  operation. 
When  sufficiently  chopped,  carry  to  the  green,  and,  spread- 
ing a  linsey  or  sheet,  let  the  oats  fall  slowly  from  pans 
elevated  as  high  as  the  boys  can  hold  them.  The  breeze 
that  is  now  exposing  the  silver  lining  of  the  leaves  of  that 
beautiful  poplar,  is  just  strong  enough  to  blow  away  all 
of  the  dust  and  light  grains,  so  the  portion  retained  is 
both  heavy  and  clean.  We  will  now  take  six  quarts  of 
hominy — the  proportion  will  -be  greater  hereafter — and 
after  fanning  all  of  the  mealy  particles  out  of  it  thoroughly, 
incorporate  it  with  the  oats  on  the  linsey.  To  effect  this, 
the  boys  will  take  the  sheet  by  the  corners,  and  by  tossing 
it  backward  and  forward,  the  union  is  soon  accomplished. 
The  work  is  continued  till  the  receptacles  intended  for  the 
reception  of  this  mixed  feed  are  filled.  Another  is  filled 
with  cleaned  oats  alone,  and  still  another  with  prepared 
hominy.  A  barrel  or  two  filled  with  bright  ears  of  corn,  and 
a  box  of  bran  complete  this  part  of  the  commissary.  We 
can  then  feed  a  horse  whatever  we  desire,  without  waiting 
for  preparation,  and  there  is  no  rattling  of  the  sieve  to 
annoy  those  we  do  not  wish  disturbed.  The  best  bran  for 
our  purpose  is  that  obtained  from  winter  wheat.  The 
flinty  husk  enveloping  the  kernel  on  this  is  thinner  and 
more  easily  separated  from  the  flour.  There  is  less  nutri- 
ment, of  course,  than  in  the  bran  of  spring  wheat,  but 
nutriment  is  not  what  we  want.  We  will  use  oat-meal  or 
sago  for  gruels,  the  mashes  intended  to  slightly  irritate 
the  inner  coating  of  the  stomach  and  intestines,  causing 
them  to  secrete  more  of  the  watery  fluid,  thus  softening 
the  evacuations. 


MIXING     HOMINY     AND     OATS.  253 

The  feed  room  must  be  kept  strictly  under  lock  and  key, 
and  the  boys  never  suffered  to  measure  the  feed.  The 
foreman  will  give  them  the  amount  each  horse  is  to  have ; 
and  if  I  had  not  full  confidence  in  his  attending  to  this 
part  of  his  duty,  I  should  carry  the  key  myself,  even  if  it 
necessitated  my  attendance  at  the  stable  for  every  feed. 
Grooms  becoming  attached  to  the  horses  they  are  taking- 
care  of,  are  very  apt  to  feed  them  more  than  they  are  told, 
and  this  mistaken  kindness  I  have  known  followed  by 
serious  consequences.  I  will  not  detain  you  any  longer 
from  driving  ;  by  the  time  you  get  through,  the  horses 
will  have  to  go  out  for  their  walk. 

PUPIL. — The  young  things  are  done  with.  When  driv- 
ing I  was  cogitating  over  your  manner  of  feeding,  and  am 
anxious  to  learn  why  you  prefer  mixing  the  hominy  and 
oats  together,  and  why  you  increase  the  proportion  of 
hominy  as  the  horses  take  sharper  work. 

PEECEPTOE. — We  have  hardly  time  now  to  discuss  the 
effects  of  the  different  kinds  of  grain  on  the  health  of  the 
horse.  It  is  a  matter  I  have  thought  a  great  deal  about, 
yet  I  cannot  natter  myself  that  I  am  capable  of  throwing 
much  light  on  the  subject.  Oats  are  said  to  be  the  natu- 
ral food  of  the  horse.  Why  they  are  claimed  to  be  their 
natural  aliment  would  be  difficult  to  tell.  If  the  horse 
originated  in  the  East,  as  is  generally  believed,  he  must 
have  been  dieted  on  something  else,  as  oats  were  not 
grown  there  at  all.  Oats  have  the  thickest  husk  of  any  of 
the  cereals  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  there  being  only 
eight  pounds  of  flour  to  fourteen  of  grain,  while  there  are 
twelve  of  barley  and  thirteen  of  wheat  in  the  same  quan- 
tity. Corn  has  still  less  bran,  and  if  a  horse  were  confined 
to  any  one  of  these  grains  in  a  whole  state,  the  greater 
bulk  of  oats  to  their  weight  might  make  them  easier  of 
digestion. 

But  I  will  give  you  some  of  the  reasons  why  I  mix  oats 


254  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

and  hominy.  There  is  more  nutriment  in  the  same  bulk  ; 
they  are  easier  digested  than  when  fed  separately  ;  most 
horses  like  the  mixture  better,  and  will  eat  it  when  then 
they  would  mince  over  oats  alone.  Corn,  being  more  laxa- 
tive than  oats,  has  to  be  used  with  discretion,  and  I  have 
known  trainers  to  err  in  giving  it  to  animals  that  would 
have  been  better  without  it.  Washy,  delicate  horses, 
which  can  hardly  take  work  enough  to  learn  to  trot  even 
without  going  off  their  feed,  with  such  a  fidgety,  nervous 
organization  that  any  noise  or  change  will  discompose 
them,  that  scour  when  they  are  the  least  excited,  that  never 
need  to  be  sweated  under  any  circumstances,  ought  never 
to  be  fed  corn  or  mashes.  All  will  agree  with  me  that 
bran  ought  not  to  be  fed  to  such  as  these  ;  but  a  majority 
will  say,  Why,  these  are  the  very  subjects  that  ought  to  have 
corn  ;  it  will  increase  their  strength,  being  stronger  food, 
and  you  can  often  get  them  to  eat  an  ear  or  two  of  corn 
when  they  would  not  touch  the  oats.  The  English  prac- 
tice of  feeding  beans,  universally  recommended  by  their 
best  trainers  for  the  washy,  light-waisted  fellows,  will  be 
instanced  ;  and  it  will  be  argued,  that,  because  beans  and 
corn  are  of  about  the  same  specific  gravity,  they  are  ana- 
logous in  their  results.  Beans  have  a  constipating  ten- 
dency, which  makes  them  a  proper  corrective  for  the  lax 
constitution,  while  corn  increases  the  evil. 

We  will  have  to  take  a  more  fitting  time,  however,  to 
consider  the  question  of  aliment,  which  is  a  very  impor- 
tant one. 

I  will  now  leave  you,  having  some  business  in  town 
which  requires  my  attention.  Treat  Never  Mind  as  yo*. 
did  last  night  allowing  him  to  graze  half  an  hour.  I  will 
not  be  here  very  early  in  the  morning,  but  I  do  not  want 
you  to  drive  him  till  I  come.  As  we  have  now  every 
prospect  of  good  weather,  I  do  not  think  there  will  be 


PKEPAKISTG     FOE     THE     SWEAT.  255 

anything  to  interfere  with  the  contemplated  sweat,  day 
after  to-niorrow. 

Think  of  all  you  can  that  will  have  a  bearing  on  the 
question  of  the  utility  of  this  means  of  depletion,  and 
we  will  try  to  obtain  mutual  advantage  from  the  dis- 
cussion. 


CHAPTEE    XIX. 

OBJECTS  OF  SWEATING — HOW  FAT  IMPEDES    THE    ACTION    OF  THE 

HEART  AND  LUNGS — MANNER  OF  REMOVING  IT — RACES  LOST 

BY   SUPPRESSED  PERSPIRATION. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  ani  later  in  making  my  appearance  this 
morning  than  I  expected,  and  came  very  near  being  the 
cause  of  delaying  Never  Mind's  work  longer  than  would 
have  been  politic. 

PUPIL. — The  boy  has  given  him  an  hour's  walk,  which  I 
took  the  responsibility  of  ordering. 

PRECEPTOR. — That  was  correct.  "We  can  hardly  over- 
estimate the  importance  of  being  regular  in  the  time  of 
working  a  horse.  Trotters,  perhaps,  can  be  allowed  more 
latitude  in  this  particular  than  race  horses,  yet  the  benefit 
they  experience  by  taking  their  exercises  at  a  definite  hour 
well  repays  exactness  in  dividing  our  time.  There  is  no 
business  in  which  regularity  and  order  are  more  impera- 
tively demanded  than  that  of  training  horses.  It  is  very 
true  we  cannot  reduce  it  to  a  question  of  performing  a 
routine  of  duties  at  the  same  hour  and  minute  of  the  day. 
If  this  were  the  case,  training  would  be  a  simple  concern, 
capable  of  being  done  by  every  one  who  is  energetic  and 
systematic.  Rules  could  be  laid  down  which,  if  followed, 
would  certainly  result  in  success,  when,  in  truth,  the  great 
art  in  training  is,  when  to  change  the  work,  feed,  &c.,  ac- 
cording to  the  wants  of  the  horse.  It  might  be  good  po- 
licy with  some  horses,  indeed,  to  change  the  hour  of  their 


PEECEDI^G     THE     SWEAT.  257 

work,  the  same  as  we  frequently  find  the  benefit  of  giving 
them  their  exercise  in  a  different  locality.  The  brown  fel- 
low, I  expect,  has  the  harness  on.  Hitch  him  to  the  sulky, 
jog  him  quietly  twice  round  the  track  ;  the  third  time  let 
him  go  about  a  four-minute  gait,  till  you  get  half  way 
down  the  stretch,  when  you  can  drive  him  nearly  to  the 
top  of  his  speed  to  the  stand ;  pull  him  up  on  the  turn, 
as  I  want  to  see  how  he  breathes.  You  can  then  jog  him 
leisurely  the  reverse  way  of  the  track,  twice  round,  and 
drive  him  to  the  barn. 

PUPIL. — I  hope  I  followed  the  directions  to  your  satis- 
faction. He  was  eager  to  go  when  allowed  to  move  faster 
than  was  customary,  and  he  did  not  half  like  being  pulled 
up  after  so  short  a  brush. 

PRECEPTOK. — Your  driving  was  worthy  of  commendation, 
and  the  horse  performed  even  better  than  I  anticipated. 
The  action  of  his  lungs  and  heart  is  very  much  impeded 
by  inside  fat,  and  to  have  kept  him  at  the  same  speed, 
that  you  drove  the  two  hundred  yards  for  half  or  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile,  would  have  overworked  him,  and  caused 
serious  injury.  He  has  speed  enough  to  trot  in  the  very 
best  company  ;  and  with  a  moderate  share  of  good  luck,  I 
think  we  will  be  successful  in  his  preparation.  The  rea- 
sons I  had  for  directing  you  to  open  him  that  short  dis- 
tance, I  will  give  you  in  the  conversation  we  will  have 
on  sweating,  its  effects  and  uses.  Your  presence  not  be- 
ing required  at  the  stable  till  after  dinner,  we  will  go  to 
the  house,  where  our  seat  on  the  piazza  will  be  more  com- 
fortable, and  where  our  attention  will  not  be  so  likely  to 
be  distracted  as  when  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
the  horses.  Jane  and  the  Falcon,  I  suppose,  worked 
kindly. 

PUPIL. — Neither  of  them  gave  me  any  trouble,  but  I 
would  not  like  to  bet  on  being  able  to  pull  Madam  Jane 


258  HOESE    POKIKAITUKE. 

up  in  so  short  a  space  as  I  did  Never  Mind,  after  allowing 
her  to  get  nearly  to  her  best  speed. 

PBECEPTOR. — We  will  have  her  as  obedient  as  any  of 
them,  before  we  call  on  her  to  display  her  speed  even  for 
a  short  distance,  and  I  feel  safe  in  assuring  you  that  she 
will  be  less  trouble  on  that  score  than  the  one  you  have 
just  driven.  The  bay  mare's  faults  are  those  that  have 
been  engendered  by  bad  handling  ;  her  natural  disposition 
is  better  than  that  of  Never  Mind,  and  her  phrenological 
developments  are  certainly  much  superior. 

PUPIL. — I  think  the  long  journey  has  been  an  advantage 
to  the  Falcon  as  well  as  King.  He  never  drove  as  kindly 
on  the  track  as  he  has  since  he  has  been  here. 

PBEOEPTOB. — In  place  of  ascribing  the  improvement  to 
the  journey  on  the  cars,  is  it  not  more  likely  to  follow 
your  own  improved  skill  in  driving  him  ?  It  is  not  very 
flattering  to  our  self-love  to  admit  that  we  are  more  to 
blame  than  the  horses,  yet  nine  cases  in  ten  it  will 
prove  so. 

Here  we  are  comfortably  seated,  and  have  time  enough 
before  dinner  to  say  a  good  deal  on  the  topic  we  are  going 
to  discuss.  Should  I  advance  any  ideas  that  are  not  clearly 
understood,  or  that  you  differ  from  in  opinion,  do  not  hes- 
itate to  interrupt  me,  so  as  to  have  the  matter  stated  in 
a  clearer  light,  or  show  by  argument  that  the  grounds  I 
take  are  untenable. 

The  natural  outlets  of  the  body  are  the  skin,  bowels,  and 
kidneys.  With  their  aid  we  get  rid,  of  what  the  old  train- 
ers called  the  waste  and  spare.  We  can  increase  the  action 
of  all  of  them  by  articles  given  as  food  or  medicine.  The 
evacuations  through  the  numerous  pores  of  the  skin  are 
what  we  call  sweating,  the  effects  of  which — when  properly 
used — being  to  bring  a  horse  into  such  a  state,  called  con- 
dition, that  he  can  do,  without  injury,  what  would  be  an 
impossibility  for  him  to  perform  without  its  aid.  I  have 


KNOWLEDGE     OF     ANATOMY.  259 

signified  my  objections  to  stimulating  the  bowels  and  kid- 
neys by  cathartics  and  diuretics  as  aids  of  training,  and  I 
must,  •  necessarily,  show  that  condition  can  be  acquired 
without  their  help.  Sweating  has  two  distinct  things  to 
perform  :  the  first,  to  give  freedom  to  the  respiratory  or- 
gans and  the  action  of  the  heart,  which  we  may  call  inter- 
nal relief;  the  second,  to  promote  the  strength  and  activity 
of  the  muscles,  and  lighten  the  load  to  be  carried,  which, 
with  the  same  propriety,  may  be  termed  external  relief. 
The  organs  of  respiration  are  the  lungs,  bronchial  tubes, 
trachea  or  windpipe,  glottis  or  valve,  at  the  extremity  of 
the  trachea,  nasal  passages  and  nostrils.  Knowing  that  I 
am  incapable,  it  would  be  foolish  in  me  to  attempt  a  lecture 
on  hippophysiology,  and  in  offering  the  remarks  I  am  go- 
mg  to  make,  I  do  not  present  them  as  being  scientifically 
correct.  I  lament  greatly  the  want  of  a  suitable  knowledge 
of  anatomy  and  physiology,  which  would  have  lightened 
my  labor  in  many  instances,  and  when  I  have  been  groping 
in  the  dark,  uncertain  whether  the  little  glimmer  I  could 
discover  was  a  scintillation  which  could  be  depended  oh, 
or  a  false  light  that  would  lead  me  further  astray,  the  pos- 
session of  this  knowledge  would  have  enabled  me  to  detect 
the  imposture,  and  pursue  the  right  course  without  the  loss 
of  time.  If  it  were  my  intention  to  continue  in  the  busi- 
ness of  training  horses  I  would,  notwithstanding  my  age 
— which  makes  it  harder  work  to  learn — devote  a  portion 
of  my  time  to  this  study  which  I  have  neglected,  and  by 
enrolling  myself  in  the  class  of  some  competent  instructor 
in  veterinary  science,  try  to  rectify  the  want  by  rigid  study, 
especially  in  those  branches  pertaining  to  respiration. 

It  requires  study  to  understand  the  workings  of  the  or- 
gans of  circulation  and  breathing,  and  I  must  admit  that 
I  am  not  capable  of  understanding  any  of  the  treatises 
that  I  have  read  on  this  subject  sufficiently  to  explain  them, 
or  to  make  them  even  as  intelligible  to  you  as  they  are  to 


260  HOBSE     PORTKAITUEE. 

myself.  I  would  urge  you  to  take  the  first  opportunity  of 
acquiring  a  scientific  education,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary 
to  know  the  physiological  and  anatomical  structure  of  tho 
animals  you  expect  to  breed  and  train.  When  the  winter- 
season  puts  a  stop  to  practical  training,  join  a  class  of  ve- 
terinary students,  and  acquaint  the  teacher  of  what  you 
want  to  learn,  when  he  will  order  a  course  of  study  that 
will  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  you  hereafter.  Doubt- 
less when  you  acquire  this  information  you  will  look  back 
to  our  present  conversation,  and  see  many  errors,  though 
the  deductions  drawn  from  the  statements  I  am  going  to  make 
I  know  to  be  correct.  They  have  been  demonstrated  by  my 
practice,  and  since  I  have  followed  my  present  plan  of 
sweating  I  have  never  had  a  horse  become  baked  or  fever- 
ish, which  was  frequently  the  case  when  I  sweated  them 
without  thinking  of  the  causes  why  it  should  be  done,  or 
was  aware  of  the  results  that  might  be  expected  to  follow. 
The  action  of  the  heart  is  so  much  identified  with  the 
lungs  that  both  have  to  be  taken  into  consideration. 
Quicken  the  motion  of  the  one,  and  you  accelerate  the 
other,  but  not  in  the  same  proportion.  For  instance,  when 
a  horse  is  breathing  tranquilly,  the  respirations  are  from 
four  to  eight  in  a  minute,  and  the  pulsations  thirty-six  to 
forty.  As  you  increase  the  motion  of  the  lungs  by  fast 
work,  the  respirations  will  be  multiplied,  till  the  ratio  will 
be  as  one  to  two,  possibly  two  to  three.  Suppose  that,  in 
driving  Never  Mind,  you  had  kept  up  the  rate  of  speed 
you  took  in  the  brush,  until  he  became  distressed.  The 
respirations  would  probably  have  been  forty  or  forty-five 
times  in  a  minute,  with  the  pulsations  at  seventy-five  to 
eighty.  The  inspirations  at  times  would  be  a  good  deal 
longer  than  the  expirations,  frequently  sighing  and  "blow- 
ing out"  suddenly.  This  would  arise  from  the  amount  of 
adipose  matter  interfering  with  the  heart  and  lungs,  re- 
stricting the  first,  and  enfeebling  the  others  ;  and  it  would 


THE     KESPIBATOKY     ORGANS.  261 

be  a  long  time  before  lie  would  recover,  and  the  circulation 
and  breathing  be  restored  to  their  natural  condition.  We 
will  also  suppose  that  he  became  thus  distressed  in  going 
half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  We  get  rid  of  the  super- 
fluities, and  drive  him  till  he  exhibits  great  fatigue,  having 
gone  perhaps  two  or  three  miles.  The  respirations  have 
increased  to  two-thirds  of  the  throbs  of  the  heart.  Still 
the  expirations  and  inspirations  are  nearly  equal,  and  there 
is  very  little  if  any  sighing.  He  blows  out  freely  and  for- 
cibly, recovering  the  natural  breathing  in  much  less  time 
than  before.  In  the  first  case  he  would  have  been  "  dead 
beat ; "  in  the  second,  by  taking  a  pull,  and  easing  him  for 
a  short  time,  he  would  "come  again,"  and  make  another 
struggle.  This  would  show  that  rapid  respiration  and 
arterial  action  can  be  kept  up  if  the  organs  are  in  a  proper 
state.  The  main  muscle  acting  on  the  lungs,  and  assisting 
in  respiration,  is  the  diaphragm.  In  forcible  expiration 
the  abdominal  muscles  act  with  great  power.  It  will  be 
useless  to  take  much  time  to  show  that  if  an  excessive  de- 
posit of  fat  exists,  their  aid  will  be  much  diminished.  Fat 
within  the  chest  is  laid  in  layers  beneath  the  serous  coat- 
ing, and  about  the  base  of  the  heart.  It  materially  affects 
the  breathing  by  encroaching  on  the  pulmonary  chamber, 
and  interfering  with  the  expansion  of  the  lungs,  so  that 
the  minute  air  cells  cannot  be  filled  to  the  extent  of  their 
capacity  as  they  can  when  freed  from  this  obstruction.  If 
the  heart  is  healthy,  there  is  room  within  the  pericardium 
for  all  of  its  motions,  contraction  and  expansion  not  being 
greatly  restricted  by  the  outside  coating  of  fat.  But  this 
coating  does  effect  the  equalization,  or  rhythm  of  the  puls- 
ations, when  the  action  is  hurried,  so  it  becomes  necessary 
to  remove  the  obstruction  here  as  elsewhere. 

The  change  in  the  blood,  from  the  time  it  leaves  the 
heart  by  the  arteries,  till  it  is  returned  by  the  veins,  after 
having  been  aerated  in  the  lungs,  is  a  wonderful  provision 

12 


262  HOESE     POETRAITUEE. 

of  nature  for  it  to  obtain  properties  from  the  atmosphere 
essential  to  the  existence  of  life.  The  passage  of  the  blood 
to  the  extremities  of  the  vessels  that  convey  it,  is  accom- 
panied, in  sweating,  by  another  phenomenon,  viz.,  the  for-, 
cing  of  the  moisture  through  the  pores  of  the  skin,  which 
we  call  sweat.  In  the  evacuations  from  the  bowels  and 
kidneys  there  is  never  a  particle  of  fat,  and  the  emaciation 
following  purging  or  excessive  staling  is  not  due  to  fat 
being  carried  from  the  body  directly,  but  to  causes  result- 
ing therefrom.  In  exudation,  however,  the  oily  part  of 
the  blood  is  got  rid  of,  as  well  as  the  watery  fluid  that  ac- 
companies it.  You  will  perceive,  when  a  horse  takes  his 
first  sweats,  the  moisture  is  of  a  thick,  unctuous  nature, 
forming  a  lather  like  soap  when  it  meets  with  friction 
from  the  clothes  or  harness.  As  the  horse's  body  becomes 
freed  from  impurities,  the  sweat  becomes  thinner  and 
clearer,  finally,  having  the  appearance  of  clean  water,  as 
it  trickles  down  his  legs.  The  skin,  then,  appears  to  be 
the  most  direct  way  of  getting  rid  of  the  fat,  and  not  only 
fthe  most  direct,  but  the  most  natural. 

The  consequence  of  the  fall  of  man  was,  that  his  bread 
should  be  obtained  by  labor — "the  sweat  of  the  brow" 
was  to  be  the  lot  of  all  of  the  descendants  of  Adam ;  and 
let  horse  or  man  be  required  to  exert  himself  sufficiently, 
the  hindrances  to  that  exertion  are  got  rid  of  by  those 
natural  outlets,  the  pores  of  the  skin. 

The  fat,  in  the  first  place,  having  been  deposited  by  the 
blood,  the  loss  of  the  oily  portion  in  sweating  is  replaced 
by  the  absorbants  working  on  the  surplus  in  store,  remov- 
ing it  from  .where  the  original  deposit  was  made  ;  and  as 
the  sweatings  are  continued,  exhausting  all  that  we  desire 
to  get  rid  of.  There  are  probably  other  changes  that  take 
place  in  the  blood,  one  being  a  greater  degree  of  fluidity, 
perhaps  occasioned  by  an  increase  of  heat.  •  It  would  ap- 
pear that  the  abstraction  of  the  watery  particles  would 


KEMOVAL     OE     IK  SIDE     EAT.  263 

have  a  contrary  effect,  yet  I  am  satisfied  that  this  is  coun- 
teracted by  an  opposing  force,  which  I  cannot  explain, 
rendering  the  arteries  and  veins  less  liable  to  engorgement 
than  when  the  circulating  fluid  had  properties  which  made 
it  more  difficult  to  propel  through  them.  From  the  relief 
afforded  by  copious  and  repeated  sweatings,  we  might 
infer,  that  the  abstraction  of  the  fatty  globules  in  the 
blood  was  the  means  of  lessening  the  labor  of  the  heart, 
which  is  of  the  greatest  importance  when  the  blood  is  sent 
bounding  along  more  than  twice  as  fast  as  when  the  ani- 
mal is  at  rest.  The  theory  that  the  pulsation  keeps  time 
to  the  step,  is,  I  believe,  correct  when  the  action  is  much 
hurried.  Hence,  when  a  horse  is  making  a  fraction  more 
than  two  bounds  in  a  second,  the  work  of  the  heart  is 
greatly  increased,  and  the  labor  of  that  vital  force-pump 
would  be  much  lessened  by  the  blood  being  easier  to  urge 
through  the  tubing  of  the  veins,  as  fast  as  the  accelerated 
pace  required  that  it  should  be. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  nearly  all  the  inside  fat  will 
have  to  be  got  away  before  the  respirating  organs  are 
capable  of  performing  their  functions  in  a  manner  that 
will  endure  fast  work.  The  heart  is  also  facilitated  in  its 
operations  by  the  removal,  and  the  diaphragm  and  abdo- 
minal muscles  can  act  with  far  greater  force,  the  whole 
internal  economy  is  in  a  manner  changed,  the  muscles  of 
the  stomach  are  strengthened,  and  digestion  is  better  and 
more  rapid.  The  gastric  juices  are  more  intimately  blend- 
ed with  the  contents  of  the  stomach,  and  the  waste  for 
the  bowels  to  carry  off  is  less  acrid  and  easier  expelled. 
^Ye  will  also  find  that  the  same  process  will  get  rid  of  the 
external  fat,  and  while  the  load  is  lightened  for  the  horse 
to  carry,  and  the  muscular  system  is  brought  to  a  higher 
state  of  vigor,  it  also  assists  in  the  expansion  of  the 
chest.  The  intercostal  muscles  or  the  muscles  between  the 
ribs  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  respiration,  and  the  reduc- 


264  HOESE    PORTRAITURE. 

tion  of  the  neck  removes  the  unnecessary  load  of  fat  which 
surrounds  the  windpipe,  giving  more  room  for  it  to  convey 
the  air  to  the  bronchial  tubes,  and  through  them  to  the 
lungs.  I  have  just  said  that  the  same  process  gets  rid  of 
fat,  wherever  it  is  deposited,  either  among  the  internal 
viscera,  or  where  it  surrounds  the  muscles.  This  is  so, 
yet  we  can  modify  it  in  practice,  so  that  the  effects  will  be 
greater  in  absorbing  the  interior  than  the  exterior  deposit. 

This  is  the  first  thing  to  be  done.  Till  we  remove  from 
the  lungs  and  heart  the  adipose  deposit  that  hinders  their 
working,  we  cannot  give  exercise  enough  to  be  of  much 
benefit  to  the  muscles  of  locomotion.  The  first  sweats, 
then,  will  have  to  be  given  independent  of  speed,  which 
these  organs  are  yet  unable  to  endure.  In  England,  it  is 
well  known  that  if  a  horse  used  for  hunting  becomes  much 
tired,  he  will  never  after  be  as  good  as  he  was.  No  matter 
how  long  the  interval  of  rest,  his  impaired  powers  can 
never  be  recuperated.  In  all  probability  the  injury  is  to 
the  lungs ;  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase,  the  symptoms 
of  being  exhausted  are  overlooked,  and  animals  are  forced 
to  struggle  along  till  their  structure  is  injured.  We  are 
all  aware  how  much  more  acute  the  sufferings  are  from 
the  exhaustion  of  the  lungs,  than  the  tiring  of  the  muscles. 
Thus  nature  warns  us  of  the  greater  danger  attending  the 
overworking  of  them.  The  sweating  of  Never  Mind  to- 
morrow will  be  a  practical  exemplification  of  the  mode  I 
a'dopt  to  relieve  the  respiratory  organs,  so  there  will  be 
no  need  of  dilating  on  the  plan  to  be  followed  to  accom- 
plish this  end.  We  have  in  a  cursory  manner  glanced  at 
the  effects  of  sweating  on  the  internal  organs ;  we  will 
afterwards  discuss  its  merits  in  relieving  a  horse,  when  in 
distress  from  rapid  work. 

The  questions  attending  sweating  for  the  outward  for- 
mation are  not  so  complicated.  The  muscles  are  masses 
of  elastic  fibres,  terminated  by  the  tendons  on  which  they 


BENEFIT     TO     THE     MUSCLES.  2G5 

act  by  contraction  and  relaxation.  Thus  while  one  set 
exert  their  force  in  one  direction  by  contraction,  the  oppo- 
site are  lenghtened  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  power 
applied.  Some  run  parallel  with  the  tendons,  others  cross 
these  in  an  oblique  direction,  and  still  others  at  nearly 
right  angles  to  the  first.  The  fat  is  deposited  where  they 
overlap  each  other,  filling  up  the  interstices  and  giving 
prominence  to  the  muscles  by  pushing  the  outside  one 
out.  In  a  very  fat  horse,  there  is  a  further  deposit  of  adi- 
pose matter  between  the  sldn  and  the  body,  sometimes 
covering  the  muscles  of  the  ribs  to  quite  a  depth.  This  is 
entirely  useless,  while  that  in  the  interstices  has  a  duty  to 
perform  of  great  importance,  viz.,  lubricating  the  fibres  so 
that  the  friction  at  the  points  of  attrition  is  much  lessened. 
The  muscles  are  completely  filled  with  a  network  of  blood- 
vessels, their  ramifications  being  so  extensive  that  the  eye 
is  unable  to  detect  their  presence.  The  muscles  become 
harder  and  more  tendinous  as  they  are  made  to  perform 
active  duty,  till  what  was  a  pulpy,  fleshy  mass,  becomes 
fined  down  to  a  strong,  elastic  substance,  very  different 
and  much  more  suitable  to  the  necessities  of  rapid  pro- 
gression. This  change  takes  place  as  the  result  of  exer- 
cise, and  does  not  follow  the  removal  of  the  fat,  when  that 
removal  is  dependent  on  other  agencies  than  muscular 
exertion.  While  the  Eoman  or  hot-air  bath  would  be  a 
very  proper  and  powerful  auxiliary  in  removing  interior 
and  exterior  fatty  matter  in  the  first  stages  of  preparation, 
its  services  could  never  further  this  change  of  the  muscu- 
lar system.  Exercise  is  the  only  means  of  effecting  it, 
and  the  amount  of  work  best  adapted  to  effect  this  end  is 
varied  in  almost  every  animal  that  has  to  undergo  the 
conditioning  process.  The  first  sweats,  however,  are 
nearly  identical  in  all  horses  having  the  same  amount  of 
extraneous  matter  to  remove,  so  that  we  will  be  less  likely 
to  err  in  this  stage  than  when  we  make  a  racing  pace  one 


266  HOUSE    PORTEAITUEE. 

of  the  concomitants  of  sweating.  The  removal  of  the  fat 
in  the  cavities  formed  by  the  lapping  or  crossing  of  the 
muscles  is  a  question  of  time,  and  much  injury  would  re- 
sult from  attempting  to  get  rid  of  it  sooner  than  is  pru- 
dent. It  must  never  be  completely  eradicated,  as  there 
must  not  only  be  a  sufficiency  left  for  lubrication,  but  a 
surplus  that  will  meet  any  extra  call  that  exertion,  pro- 
tracted longer  than  we  looked  for,  will  entail.  As  the  fat 
is  wasted,  there  ought  to  be  a  proportional  increase  of 
muscle,  which  will  invariably  be  the  case  if  the  minutiae 
of  training  have  been  carefully  attended  to. 

Sweating  under  clothes  has  also  a  local  effect.  This  is 
an  advantage  which  no  other  system  of  depletion  can 
boast  of,  and  the  benefits  of  which  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated. If  it  were  otherwise,  we  would  be  compelled 
to  bring  one  part  of  the  horse's  body  much  lower  than  we 
would  like  it,  in  order  that  some  other  part  might  be  in  a 
situation  to  stand  the  effects  of  fast  work.  To  exemplify 
this,  we  will  instance  the  effects  of  sweating  on  the  neck, 
chest,  and  loin.  The  difference  in  the  necks  of  horses  in 
a  natural  state  is  very  marked.  In  one  we  will  find  the 
long,  delicate  neck,  perhaps  a  little  drooping  in  front  of 
the  withers,  so  small  at  the  junction  of  the  head  that  you 
could  nearly  encircle  it  with  your  hands.  The  next  is 
larger  at  the  shoulders,  fuller  in  the  crest,  but  equally  as 
well  cut  out  in  the  throttle,  and  better  at  the  joining  of 
the  head.  The  third  is  larger  everywhere,  and  short, 
thicker  even  at  the  throat-latch  than  the  first  was  at  the 
shoulder,  with  a  crest  so  thick  and  flabby  that  it  hangs 
over  on  one  side.  The  jowls  are  also  covered  with  meat, 
and,  what  is  much  worse,  the  space  between  the  jaws  is 
also  filled  with  flesh  and  enlarged  glands. 

While  size  may  be  a  measure  of  power  in  other  parts 
of  the  body,  an  overgrown  neck  is  a  sure  mark  of  inability 
to  sustain  a  fast  pace,  not  alone  from  interfering  with  the 


LOCAL     SWEATING.  267 

free  passage  of  air  in  the  breathing-tubes,  and  the  free 
passage  of  blood  through  the  jugular  veins  and  carotid 
arteries,  but  the  extra  weight  to  be  carried  is  in  the  very 
worst  place  for  the  ease  of  the  horse.  It  would  be  a  safe 
estimate  that  the  last  described  neck  would  weigh  fifty 
pounds  more  than  the  second,  and  more  than  double  as 
much  as  the  first.  If  these  horses  were  identical  in  every 
other  particular,  there  would  be  a  vast  preponderance  in 
favor  of  the  two  with  lighter  necks  on  that  score  alone. 
But  when  we  come  to  consider  the  effects  on  the  breath- 
ing apparatus,  and  the  stricture  on  the  return  of  the  blood 
from  the  brain,  we  will  be  convinced  that  the  large-necked 
animal  is  totally  unfit  to  go  any  distance  fast,  without  ar- 
tificial aid  to  dimmish  the  useless  volume  of  matter  in  the 
neck.  Now,  if  we  were  forced  to  waste  all  parts  of  him 
alike,  it  would  be  evident  that  we  would  weaken  some 
portions  so  much  that  the  balance  would  be  equally  as 
much  disturbed,  and  the  part  that  would  fail  the  most 
would  be  the  loin.  A  deep  chest,  swelling  barrel,  and 
broad  loin  are  generally  looked  upon  as  betokening 
strength  of  constitution. 

A  severe  strain  of  the  loin  is  followed  by  partial  paraly- 
sis of  the  hind  quarters  ;  the  legs  are  drawn  feebly  along, 
and  the  animal  moves  by  dragging  himself  with  his  fore 
feet.  The  whole  propelling  power  of  a  horse  being  in  his 
hind  quarters,  it  is  evident  that  anything  that  will  weaken 
that  force  will  materially  retard  the  velocity  with  which 
he  is  capable  of  moving.  The  back-bone  is  braced  with 
strong  fillets  parallel  with  it  and  joined  to  the  bony  pro- 
jections, and  the  large  muscles  that  cover  the  bony  frame- 
work are  heaped  up  in  masses  at  this  point.  If  we  dimi 
nish  their  force  by  repeated  sweatings,  we  lose  much  with- 
out any  corresponding  gain  ;  so,  to  reduce"  the  overloaded 
neck  we  have  recourse  to  the  local  application  of  clothing, 
and  thus  effect  the  object  desired.  There  is  nothing  like 


268  HOKSE    POKTRAITUBE. 

the  danger  of  over-sweating  the  neck  there  is  even  in  the 
chest,  which  will  also  bear  a  great  deal  of  reduction.  We 
may  reduce  the  muscles  that  cover  the  shoulder-blade  too 
much,  but  the  intercostal  and  abdominal  muscles  will  bear 
a  diminution  of  their  tissue,  if  that  is  necessary,  to  get  rid 
of  the  fat  in  their  immediate  neighborhood.  Of  all  your 
horses,  the  Clipper  is  the  only  one  that  carries  a  heavy 
neck,  and  his  is  nothing  like  so  bad  as  that  of  many  very 
successful  trotters.  The  "blood"  here  works  to  advantage, 
and  I  will  cheerfully  admit  that,  so  far,  it  is  a  great  and 
lasting  benefit,  not  only  in  giving  a  configuration  of  neck 
that  is  better  adapted  to  speed,  but  much  lessening  the 
work  necessary  to  get  the  horse  in  order. 

In  saying  that  we  would  sweat  Never  Mind  to-morrow, 
and  again  in  a  week  from  that  time,  I  did  not  mean  to  be 
understood  that  we  would  fix  on  a  definite  time  for  sweat- 
ing. The  interval  between  the  sweats  will  not  only  vary 
in  the  different  horses,  but  the  same  horses  will  probably 
go  longer  at  one  period  than  another  between  them. 
Causes  that  we  cannot  now  foresee  will  affect  the  ani- 
mals frequently,  and  a  horse  may  require  to  be  sweated 
every  few  days,  or  there  may  be  weeks  intervening.  There 
is  not  much  use  in  speculating  now  on  what  such  causes 
might  be,  as  undoubtedly  we  will  have  a  practical  illustra- 
tion of  some  of  them  before  the  season  is  ended.  We  will 
find  a  great  difference  in  the  aptitude  to  take  on  flesh  by 
the  same  horse  under  apparently  the  same  circumstances. 
The  feeding  may  be  alike  ;  the  driving  and  exercising  the 
same, — there  may  not  even  be  any  great  dissimilarity  in 
the  weather;  yet  we  will  find  that  the  horse  in  an  unaccount- 
able manner  has  accumulated  more  fat  at  one  time  than 
another.  It  will  be  obvious  that,  in  such  a  case,  the  sweats 
will  have  to  be  more  frequent  than  they  were.  I  am  not 
fond  of  drawing  a  horse  "very  fine,"  as  it  is  termed,  when 


SEASONING     THE     FLESH.  269 

that  fineness  consists  in  a  tucked-up  flank  and  an  emacia- 
ted look. 

The  day  and  night  previous  to  a  race,  a  trial  or  sweat 
will  generally  be  found  sufficient  to  curtail  the  contents 
of  the  stomach  and  bowels  so  that  the  work  can  be  given 
safely.  The  inside  of  a  horse  must  "be  clean,"  i.  e.,  free 
from  fat.  The  neck  must  also  be  relieved  from  weight, 
and  the  pressure  of  glandular  and  muscular  fiber  must  be 
taken  away  from  the  windpipe.  The  ribs  must  not  be 
loaded  to  impede  their  dilation  and  contraction  as  the 
wants  of  the  lungs  require,  and  the  muscles  in  no  part 
the  body  must  be  hindered  from  acting  with  full  force 
and  celerity.  Some  horses  will  have  a  more  robust,  fleshy 
appearance  when  in  condition  than  others,  and  it  will  re- 
quire much  thought  and  observation  to  find  out  the 
amount  of  flesh  each  one  should  have  when  best  fitted  for 
arduous  labor. 

There  is,  of  course,  a  distinction  to  be  made  in  horses 
going  different  distances.  A  horse,  however,  may  be  able 
to  trot  three  miles  in  as  high  condition  as  when  in  the 
best  form  to  trot  one,  but  the  flesh  will  require  a  good 
deal  more  "seasoning"  to  go  the  longer  distance.  This 
seasoning  must  be  accomplished  without  getting  the  sys- 
tem in  a  feverish  state  ;  if  that  should  happen,  the  flesh 
will  be  "baked"  and  the  horse  become  "stale."  There  is 
usually  more  danger  of  this  occurring  when  the  horse  is 
trotting  in  races,  than  in  the  exercise  preceding  them. 
The  much  harder  work  a  horse  endures  in  trotting  a  race 
is  overlooked.  The  three,  five,  or  more  heats  are  perhaps 
duly  kept  in  mind,  but  the  scoring,  which  may  have  been 
the  most  trying  part  of  a  race,  is  unthought  of.  A  horse, 
when  being  sweated,  meets  with  careful  after-treatment, 
and  all  that  care  and  skill  can  accomplish  is  performed. 
The  distance  intended  to  be  gone  over  is  made,  and  the 
flow  of  perspiration  encouraged  or  checked  as  the  trainer 

12* 


270  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

thinks  best.  Between  the  heats  of  a  race  there  is  not  the 
same  opportunity.  "We  aim  to  have  the  horse  ready  to 
resume  the  contest  after  a  stipulated  interval  of  time, 
which  is  greatly  prolonged  by  the  difficulty  in  obtaining 
a  start.  The  horses  rush  to  the  score  at  their  best  speed; 
one  is  pulled  up  on  the  turn  ;  another  goes  a  full  quarter 
of  a  mile,  and  others  are  either  overworked  or  become 
chilled,  waiting  for  the  line  to  be  re-formed. 

The  duties  of  men  who  judge  trotting-races  are  very 
onerous,  and  the  situation  is  one  of  great  discomfort,  not 
the  least  of  which  is,  the  trouble  of  starting  the  horses, 
originating  from  the  perversity  of  the  drivers.  The  judges 
being  anxious  to  give  every  one  a  good  send-off,  try  time 
after  time  to  start  them  all  so  level  that  there  will  be  no 
room  for  censure.  The  drivers  aware  of  this  make  a  great 
display  of  jogging  up  the  stretch,  and  working  for  an  ad- 
vantage as  they  come  to  the  wire.  Many  of  them  are  not 
contented  with  an  even  start,  hoping  by  delay  the  patience 
of  the  judges  will  become  worn  out,  and  they  will  finally 
get  an  advantage  in  the  send-off.  I  think  some  of  these 
fellows  like  to  make  a  display  of  themselves  before  the 
occupants  of  the  stands,  and  that  vanity  is  their  ruling 
passion.  In  days  of  yore,  when  gorgeous  livery  was  worn, 
and  satin,  velvet,  and  silk,  embroidered  with  gold  and  sil- 
ver lace,  shone  in  the  brightest  colors,  there  might  be  an 
excuse  for  wanting  to  show  their  new  clothes  "  with  but- 
tons all  over  them."  But  now-a-days,  when  the  shirt 
sleeves  are  considered  the  most  appropriate  costume  to 
drive  a  race  in,  this  cannot  be  the  cause.  They  must 
want  to  show  their  beauty  of  face  and  form,  and  thereby 
captivate  the  fancy  of  some  of  the  blooming  damsels  that 
grace  the  course  with  thek  presence.  There  are  many 
trotting-horse  drivers  that  I  have  never  seen,  yet,  if  there 
be  an  Adonis  among  them,  I  will  give  more  to  see  him  pa- 
raded than  I  would  to  see  the  eighth  wonder  of  the  world. 


SWEATING     BETWEEN     THE     HEATS.       271 

A.  majority  of  those  I  am  acquainted  with  would  be  en- 
titled to  the  knife  "  Simon  Suggs "  carried  so  long,  and 
there  is  not  one  that  would  divert  attention  from  the  su- 
perior beauty  of  the  horse  he  sits  behind.  If  the  judges 
would  insist  on  the  warming-up  being  done  before  the 
time  for  starting — which  should  be  punctually  kept — and 
not  allow  the  drivers  to  go  above  the  three  in  five  distance 
to  score,  place  a  steward  there  to  marshal  them,  and  in 
case  of  not  getting  the  word,  compel  them  to  pull  their 
horses  up  in  a  certain  specified  distance,  the  annoyance 
would  be  greatly  modified.  This  would  bring  the  interval 
between  heats  nearly  to  the  time  the  rule  gives,  would 
meet  the  hearty  approbation  of  the  spectators,  and  greatly 
increase  the  attendance  at  races. 

PUPIL. — You  have  not  yet  informed  me  of  the  reasons 
why  you  wanted  Never  Mind  to  make  the  short  brush ; 
and,  also,  why  you  required  him  to  be  pulled  up  when  he 
had  passed  the  stand. 

PKECEPTOB. — My  object  was  to  notice  how  he  breathed 
when  the  lungs  were  first  required  to  act  a  great  deal 
faster  than  they  had  been  accustomed  to.  I  also  wanted  to 
witness  the  expirations  and  inspirations,  and  try  if  I  could 
obtain  any  additional  light  into  the  cause  of  the  cough, 
which  you  ascribe  to  a  slight  irritation  of  the  glottis.  I 
think,  from  his  not  showing  any  undue  labor  in  breathing, 
that  your  conjecture  is  right.  If  it  arises  from  a  chronic 
disease  of  the  lungs  there  would  have  been  more  abdomi- 
nal labor  in  the  expirations.  The  brush  was  so  short  that 
healthy  lungs  would  not  show  any  want  of  power  to  per- 
form the  task  required  of  them ;  but  restricted  as  they  were 
by  fat,  any  organic  defect  would  have  been  apparent.  The 
day  before  sweating  I  always  like  to  give  fast  work  in  pro- 
portion to  the  condition  of  the  animal  to  perform  it.  I 
think  that  the  lungs  being  called  into  action  at  that  time, 
is  favorable  to  the  exertion  of  them  in  the  sweat,  and  no 


272  K  0  R  S  E    PORTRAITURE. 

matter  how  slowly  we  work  a  horse  to  start  a  flow  of  per- 
spiration, you  will  perceive  that  the  breathing  will  be  very 
much  accelerated. 

PUPIL. — There  is  another  point  I  desire  much  to  have 
explained — the  effect  of  inducing  copious  perspiration  in 
the  interval  between  the  heats. 

PRECEPTOR. — And  a  very  important  subject  that  is,  as 
numerous  races  are  lost  by  a  want  of  knowledge  in  this 
particular.  There  are  many  things  in  relation  to  sweating 
that  I  have  not  touched  upon  yet,  intending  to  notice 
them  as  they  actually  come  in  practice.  We  cannot  give 
the  subject  too  much  thought,  however,  as  I  have  implicit 
confidence  in  the  benefits  of  forced  perspiration,  but  which 
may  utterly  frustrate  the  very  best  management,  if  not 
rightly  controlled.  I  have  attempted  to  show  that  a  fast 
pace  is  accompanied  by  rapid  action  of  the  heart  and 
lungs.  The  heart  has  to  beat  quickly  to  furnish  the  mus- 
cles with  the  blood  required  for  them,  in  their  rapid  con- 
tractions and  expansions.  The  lungs  must  move  quickly, 
«n  order  that  the  blood  shall  become  properly  aerated, 
living  off  the  carbon  which  is  expelled  in  expiration,  and 
>  mbibing  the  oxygen  which  inspiration  furnishes.  In  this 
:-apid  transfer  of  the  blood  through  the  lungs  to  the  ex- 
tremities, and  back  to  the  heart,  a  great  deal  of  heat  is 
evolved,  which  ought  to  be  removed  to  the  surface,  where 
it  is  dissipated  in  the  atmosphere.  This  must  be  done  by 
the  blood  throwing  off  the  watery  portion  through  the 
pores  of  the  skin.  The  evaporation  reduces  the  heat  of 
the  body,  and  relieves  the  internal  organs.  The  change  in 
the  blood  itself — formerly  spoken  of — which  renders  it 
easier  to  be  driven  through  the  arterial  system,  also 
greatly  assists  in  relieving  the  labored  action  of  the  heart. 
It  is  evident,  then,  that  if  a  horse  performs  the  labor  that 
ought  to  induce  free  perspiration,  and  he  does  not  sweat, 
there  must  be  great  internal  suffering,  and  which  cannot 


SWEATING     BETWEEN     THE     HEATS.        273 

be  speedily  relieved  in  any  other  manner.  It  would  also  be 
evident  that  if  a  horse  were  in  this  situation,  relief  would 
not  follow  his  being  kept  in  a  quiescent  state.  That  would 
aggravate  the  difficulty,  especially  if  the  theory  of  the  syn- 
chronism of  the  pulse  and  step  be  correct. 

Should  a  vehicle,  that  is  going  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
miles  an  hour,  be  brought  to  a  full  stop,  its  contents — if 
not  fastened  to  it — keeps  up  the  same  rate  till  the  force 
of  gravitation  arrests  the  momentum,  by  bringing  the 
body  to  the  ground.  In  a  like  manner,  arresting  the  ra- 
pid motion  of  the  blood  would  be  attended  with  very 
serious  results.  Any  one  can  satisfy  himself  of  the  truth 
of  this  assumption,  by  running  rapidly  till  his  accelerated 
breathing  occasions  distress.  He  cannot  sit  down  and 
remain  passive  ;  the  suffering  is  unendurable  in  that  po- 
sition, and  he  is  forced  by  his  feelings  to  keep  moving,  till 
the  circulation  and  breathing  are  moderated  by  degrees. 
A  horse  is  pulled  up  after  a  heat ;  the  heaving  flank,  qui- 
vering nostril  and  distended  eyelids  show  distress,  while 
the  surface  is  hardly  moistened  with  perspiration.  It 
would  be  madness  to  stop  the  horse  in  this  situation  ;  he 
must  be  clothed — not  too  heavily — cantered  or  trotted 
slowly,  till  the  circulation  and  respiration  are  partially 
restored  and  then  blankets  thrown  on  till  a  good  scrape 
is  obtained. 

In  remarking  that  the  horse  must  not  be  clothed  too 
heavily,  I  want  to  have  you  understand  that  there  is  a 
proper  medium  to  be  observed,  so  as  to  induce  free  per- 
spiration. It  is  a  mistaken  notion  that  the  more  clothes 
a  horse  is  wrapped  in,  the  more  likely  he  will  be  to  sweat. 
I  presume  your  western  experience  has  made  you  familiar 
with  the  "fever  and  ague,"  and  if  fortunate  enough  to 
have  escaped  the  scourge  yourself  you  have  witnessed 
others  overtaken  with  the  "chills."  The  first  stage  is  the 
cold,  shivering  one;  the  second,  the  burning  fever,  in  which 


274  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

the  sufferer  drinks  a  great  deal  of  cold  water,  which,  redu- 
cing the  heat,  finally  brings  the  body  to  a  proper  tempera- 
ture, and  copious  perspiration  follows,  relieving  the  pa- 
tient from  the  sharp  pains  that  have  been  shooting  from 
his  head  through  every  bone  in  his  body.  Although  ex- 
treme lassitude  is  felt,  this  sweating  stage  terminates  the 
attack. 

.  When  the  sweat  has  fairly  broken  out,  the  extra  clothes 
can  be  put  on,  which  will  prolong  the  flow,  and  guard 
against  the  collapse  of  the  pores.  If  we  do  not  succeed  in 
inducing  a  free  flow  of  sweat,  there  will  be  no  use  in  push- 
ing a  horse  to  trot  another  heat.  He  could  not  possibly  win 
under  the  circumstances,  and  his  life  or  future  powers 
would  be  in  imminent  hazard.  Should  he  perspire  freely, 
the  relief  is  almost  magical  in  the  suddenness  of  its  ope- 
ration. The  breathing  becomes  regular,  the  haggard  look 
is  gone,  and  his  eye  and  ear  denote  cheerfulness ;  the 
rigid  muscles  are  relaxed,  and  he  is  soon  quite  another 
horse  in  every  particular.  The  "cooling  out,"  after  the 
flow  has  lasted  as  long  as  is  desirable,  will  be  considered 
when  you  see  it  exemplified  in  practice.  That  of  Never 
Mind  to-morrow  will  not  elucidate  it,  as  we  are  not 
limited  in  time,  while  between  heats  of  a  race  we  must 
be  ready  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell  to  "prepare  our 
horses." 

PUPIL. — Only  a  short  time  ago  I  witnessed  a  race  that 
I  thought  was  lost  from  the  neglect  of  applying  this  man- 
ner of  relief,  and  I  believe  the  only  one  lost  by  the  animal 
during  the  whole  season.  The  race  took  place  over  the 
Chicago  Driving-Park,  and  the  contestants  were  horses 
of  the  very  first  celebrity  in  trotting-annals.  The  con- 
ditions were  mile  heats,  best  three  in  five.  Riders  taking 
the  place  of  the  almost  inevitable  sulky  attracted  great 
attention,  as  both  horses  were  acknowledged  to  be  superior 
to  all  others  when  allowed  to  don  the  racing  gear,  and 


BEAUTY     AT     THE     RACE-COURSE.          275 

though  there  might  be  those  that  could  successfully  con- 
tend with  them  when  a  vehicle  was  part  of  the  weight, 
there  would  -be  "  no  show  for  them  in  this  rig,"  and  the 
two  would  be  first  and  second  in  a  field  comprising  the 
picked  trotters  of  the  world.  Although  both  thus  stood 
in  the  front  rank,  the  claims  of  the  one  to  the  champion- 
ship was  so  fully  acknowledged  that  extravagant  odds 
were  offered  on  his  winning,  and  the  opinion  was  so  ge- 
nerally coincided  in  that  these  large  odds  were  not  taken. 

The  attendance  was  large,  attracted  by  the  well-merited 
fame  of  the  horses,  and  the  desire  to  see  them  perform  in 
a  way  that  was  favorable  to  the  making  of  fast  time.  The 
favorite  had  trotted  a  few  days  before,  making  in  harness 
faster  time  than  had  ever  been  accomplished  by  pacer  or 
trotter  on  the  track  previously,  and  anticipation  pictured 
a  still  higher  flight,  one  that  would  excel  the  most  re- 
nowned of  his  recorded  feats.  The  little  betting  done 
was  on  time,  and  there  were  not  many  that  liked  to  back 
the  "  Scy thebearer  "  without  stipulating  that  the  beatings 
of  the  watches  should  denote  considerably  less  space  than 
had  been  occupied  in  the  other  race.  When  the  horses 
appeared  at  the  call  of  the  judges  loud  plaudits  welcomed 
their  approach.  The  favorite  was  enthusiastically  cheered, 
and  the  ladies  joined  in  the  demonstration  with  waving 
handkerchiefs  and  clapping  hands. 

There  was  much  to  gratify  the  eye  in  the  whole  picture. 
The  ladies'  stand  presented  such  an  array  of  bright  colors 
and  beauteous"  faces,  that  I  wondered  how  Col.  Wood,  of 
the  museum,  had  selected  the  one  modeled  as  the  Chicago 
beauty.  I  know  that  it  would  have  sorely  puzzled  me  to 
have  made  the  selection,  as  it  did  not  need  many  glances 
to  discover  that  there  were  a  score  in  the  stand  all  worthy 
of  being  immortalized  in  purest  Parian  marble,  while  the 
carriages  inside  the  course  were  'gloriously  radiant  with 
beauty  in  all  of  its  forms.  The  horses  looked  well,  their 


276  HOESE     POKTBAITUEE. 

glossy  coats  showing  that  the  grooms'  duties  had  been 
faithfully  performed.  Your  remarks  about  the  absence 
of  good  looks  in  the  drivers  of  trotters  would  only  parti- 
ally apply  here,  as  the  rider  of  the  favorite  was  a  very 
pleasant  looking  young  man,  of  clear  complexion  and 
tranquil  blue  eye.  There  was  a  tuft  of  sandy  hair  on  his 
chin  that  did  not  add  much  to  his  appearance,  yet  he  was 
rather  above  the  average  in  good  looks.  The  other  rider 
would  have  been  fairly  entitled  to  the  jacknife  from  Pren- 
tiss  or  Jonce  Hooper  ;  still  there  was  much  to  be  pleased 
with  in  his  peculiar  physiognomy.  Notwithstanding  a 
palpable  squint,  there  was  a  flash  in  his  black  and  restless 
eye  that  surely  denoted  genius  of  some  kind,  and  though 
his  seat  on  the  horse  was  not  so  graceful  as  his  competi- 
tor, he  showed  a  knowledge  of  the  business,  and  handled 
his  horse,  the  most  difficult  of  the  two  to  manage,  with 
the  greatest  skill.  While  the  other  might  get  as  much  out 
of  a  horse  in  a  trial,  or,  perhaps  ride  in  a  race  as  well, 
where  the  competitors  were  limited,  let  it  come  to  a  close 
struggle  in  a  large  field,  and  the  little  round-shouldered, 
cross-eyed,  keen,  resolute-looking  one  should  carry  my 
money. 

There  was  not  a  great  deal  of  scoring  to  try  the  patience 
of  spectators  or  judges,  and  at  the  second  attempt  the  bell 
tapped,  and  away  they  went  for  the  first  heat.  The  favor- 
ite justified  the  expectations  of  his  admirers,  by  gradually 
drawing  away  from  the  other,  and  at  the  quarter  pole  was 
three  or  four  lengths  in  advance.  He  increased  his  pace 
on  the  back-stretch  and  when  the  half-mile  was  done, 
eight  or  ten  lengths  would  have  scarcely  measured  the  dis- 
tance between  them.  By  the  time  the  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  was  reached  he  evidently  slackened  his  speed,  for  the 
other,  it  was  supposed,  to  overtake  him,  and  make  the 
semblance  of  a  race  down  the  home  side.  The  rear  horse 
was  gaining  fast,  and  at  the  distance  post  his  head  was  at 


A    FAVORITE'S    LOSS    or    A    A  ACE.      277 

the  leader's  girth.  When  within  thirty  yards  of  the  stand 
they  both  broke,  galloping  over  the  score,  and  in  my  opin- 
ion, the  favorite  slightly  behind.  The  time  was  slow  for 
the  horses,  a  good  deal  behind  what  was  made  in  the  har- 
ness race,  and  groans  and  cries  of  disapprobation  met  the 
animals,  that  but  a  few  minutes  ago  were  hailed  with  accla- 
mations. How  evanescent  is  popularity!  There  wrere 
many  causes  conducing  to  slow  time,  but  not  one  of  these 
was  considered. 

A  great  majority  of  the  vast  concourse  were  disappoint- 
ed, and  when  the  judges  announced  the  heat  as  belonging 
to  the  favorite,  and  gave  the  official,  time,  there  were  jeers 

and  calls  to  "bring  out ,  he  can  beat  that."     It  was 

some  time  before  the  tumult  could  be  stilled.  I  told  one 
of  the  judges,  that  I  thought  the  other  was  entitled  to  the 
heat,  and  he  replied  that  they  thought  of  making  it  a  dead 
heat,  but  that  would  only  protract  the  race,  as  the  favorite 
would  win  any  way.  I  was  laughed  at  for  suggesting  that, 
perhaps,  the  other  might  be  the  victor,  as  the  horse  did 

not  live  that  could  beat that  way  of  going.      From 

the  consultations  between  the  owner  and  rider,  and  their 
request  that  the  judges  would  be  careful  not  to  give  the 
rider  the  word  unless  he  was  moving  well  and  level,  it  was 
apparent  that  they  meant  to  do  their  best  to  wipe  out  the 
disgrace  of  the  preceding  heat,  and,  by  showing  time  that 
would  satisfy  the  most  exacting,  regain  the  applause  they 
had  forfeited.  Their  wishes  were  gratified  by  a  capital 
start  for  the  second  heat,  both  horses  trotting  very  fast  as 
the  bell  rung  the  chime  that  signified  onward^  There  was 
nothing  to  describe  different  from  the  other  heat,  only 
that  the  favorite  was  further  ahead  than  before  at  the  half 
mile.  The  watches  showing  a  great  improvement  in  the 
time,  and  as  it  was  made  known  in  the  judges'  stand,  the 
vice-president  turning  to  me,  his  face  fairly  glowing  with 


278  HOESE    PORTBAITURE. 

excitement,  and  said,  "I  told  you  so  ;  he  is  the  only  real 
trotter  in  the  world  !" 

On  entering  the  home  stretch,  I  could  see,  from  the  mo- 
tions oie  the  favorite,  that  the  rider  was  urging  him  to  his 
best  pace.  He  had  not  come  far  beyond  the  three-quarter 
pole,  however,  when  he  broke — recovered — broke  again, 
struck  a  lumbering,  tired  gallop,  and  the  thing  was  out. 
The  other  horse  made  up  the  long  gap,  caught  him  as  he 
commenced  trotting  again — they  stayed  together  for  a  few 
strides,  when  the  gallant  black  rattled  away  from  him, 
coming  home  faster  than  he  had  trotted  any  portion  of 
the  road  before,  his  head  oscillating  from  side  to  side,  and 
his  ears  gayly  playing  backwards  and  forwards,  as  he  came 
under  the  wire,  many  lengths  in  advance  of  his  tired  com- 
petitor. There  was  no  smile  on  the  lips  of  the  rider  of 
the  victor.  The  check  might  be  flushed  a  very  little,  but 
the  sparkle  of  the  eye  told  what  he  concealed  in  every 
other  feature, — the  exultation  at  conquering  the  hitherto 
invincible  hero  of  the  trotting-turf. 

It  was  apparent  to  every  one  that  something  was  wrong 
with  the  quondam  favorite.  The  time  of  the  heat  was 
faster  than  the  other,  yet  not  so  fast  as  he  ought  to  trot 
nearly  every  day  in  the  week.  The  rider  ascribed  it  to 
the  cinders  cutting  the  tender  part  of  the  body,  as  they 
were  thrown  against  it  by  the  rapidly  moving  fore  feet. 
That  could  not  be  the  cause,  as  the  same  thing  must  have 
happened  in  the  former  race.  As  soon  as  he  got  permis- 
sion to  dismount,  the  rider  took  the  horse  a  short  distance 
up  the  stretch,  a  light  blanket  was  thrown  on  him,  his 
body  was  rubbed,  and  a  man  at  each  leg  briskly  manipu- 
lated the  surface  of  them.  I  thought  then,  and  am  still 
more  confident  in  the  truth  of  the  supposition  now,  that 
if  he  had  been  briskly  moved  under  clothes  enough  to  in- 
duce free  perspiration,  scraped,  and  kept  in  motion  till  the 
order  was  given  to  saddle,  he  would  have  won  the  race, 


INTERNAL     DISTURBANCE.  279 

which  he  lost  by  standing  still,  no  matter  how  many  men 
were  trying  to  keep  the  circulation  to  the  extremities  by 
hand-rubbing.  The  next  heat  was  a  repetition  of  the 
second,  when  he  was  very  properly  withdrawn,  and  an- 
other instance  added  to  the  many  of  the  "  glorious  uncer- 
tainties of  racing."  His  rider  told  me  that  the  horse  was 
well,  that  he  was  eating  his  daily  allowance  with  a  good 
appetite,  and  that  he  could  not  account  for  his  defeat  in 
any  other  manner  than  that  the  cinders  worried  him  so 
that  he  would  not  trot. 

PRECEPTOK. — It  is  hard  to  determine  what  the  trouble 
was,  if  internal  disturbance  was  not  the  cause,  which 
the  sweating  would  have  relieved.  We  will  now  go  to 
dinner,  resuming  our  conversation  when  that  has  been 
discussed. 


CHAPTEE   XX. 

PRETTY  WOMEN — MORE  ABOUT   SWEATING — DBJVING  AND 
SHOEING  MAY. 

PUPIL. — "While  you  are  smoking  these  rough  barked 
cigars,  the  consideration  of  other  themes  besides  sweating 
will,  I  suppose,  be  admissible.  If  you  are  inclined  to 
listen,  I  will  recount  to  you  the  adventure  of  meeting  the 
next  to  the  handsomest  woman  I  ever  saw.  By  the  way, 
the  plan  is  a  good  one  of  characterizing  the  lady  we  are 
describing,  as  not  at  the  very  summit  of  perfection,  and  I 
will  follow  it,  as  thereby  every  pretty  woman  of  my  ac- 
quaintance will  imagine  that  she  is  the  exception  alluded 
to,  whereas,  if  I  said  the  handsomest,  I  would  have  former 
protestations  thrown  in  my  teeth,  and  a  row  raised  for  my 
insincerity. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  will  please  me  with  the  history,  though 
I  must  take  exceptions  to  your  construction  of  the  reasons 
why  I  called  Miss  P.  the  second  in  point  of  beauty  I 
had  ever  seen.  The  first  was  so  pre-eminently  beautiful, 
that  should  I  attempt  to  portray  her,  I  could  hardly  tell 
you  the  color  of  her  hair  or  eyes.  It  would  be  like  looking 
on  the  noontide  sun  to  discover  the  spots,  which  astrono- 
mers tell  us  mar  its  glorious  radiance,  which  should  we 
look  for,  the  eye  and  brain  would  be  dazed  in  the  vain 
endeavor  to  find  anything  to  detract  from  the  bright  lu- 
minary. You  deserve  to  be  well  castigated,  not  alone  for 
the  absence  of  truth  in  your  protestations,  but  for  having 


THE     ST.     LOUIS     FAIB.  281 

the  impudence  to  tell  more  than  one  lady  that  you  thought 
her  the  most  beautiful. 

PUPIL. — I  was  just  as  sincere  in  the  twentieth  case  as 
the  first,  and  when  telling  the  last  fair  one  she  was  the 
prettiest  creature  I  ever  saw,  I  firmly  believed  it  for  the 
time  being ;  and  "  why  not,"  as  the  Spaniards  say.  If  we 
held  to  the  same  opinions  formed  in  boyhood,  there  would 
be  a  small  chance  for  improvement,  and  we  would  not  be 
the  progressive  individuals  we  claim.  As  we  get  more 
experience,  we  change  the  crude  opinions  formerly  enter- 
tained, for  those  we  have  discovered  to  be  better  and 
nearer  the  truth ;  and  as  to  the  impertinence  of  telling  a 
lady  she  is  handsome,  in  a  deferential,  proper  manner,  I 
have  yet  to  see  the  first  one"  that  was  much  offended  with 
the  impudence.  The  story  I  am  going  to  relate  partly 
illustrates  this  ;  and  not  to  waste  any  more  time  in  circum- 
locution, I  will  rehearse  it. 

Seven  or  eight  years  ago  I  spent  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  in  St.  Louis,  stopping  at  the  Abbey  Park,  then 

under  the  charge  of  the  enterprising  Charlie .  There 

was  a  perfect  round  of  trotting,  pacing,  and  running,  and 
the  stables  were  filled  with  animals  that  were  taking  part  in 
these  Olympic  struggles,  and  with  those  in  preparation  for 
the  approaching  great  St.  Louis  Fair.  The  grand  Lexing- 
ton, the  handsome  Revenue,  the  fleet  Euric,  the  powerful 
Doubloon,  France,  Waterloo,  Princeton,  Little  Arthur, 
imp.  Barnton,  and  a  dozen  other  thoroughbred  stallions 
were  having  the  finishing  polish  put  on  their  glossy  coats, 
and  when  they  were  led  into  the  ring,  the  welcoming 
shouts  from  twenty  thousand  people  testified  that  their 
merits  were  appreciated.  Much  as  Charlie  had  to  do  in 
superintending  the  affairs  at  the  Abbey,  his  energetic  man- 
agement carried  things  along  so  smoothly  that  there  was 
still  time  to  drive  through  the  pleasant  suburbs  of  the 
King  City.  In  many  of  these  excursions  I  accompanied 


282  HOESE     POKTBAITUEE. 

him,  and  on  one  of  the  pleasantest  Sunday  evenings  I  ever 
saw,  the  trotters  were  hitched  to  the  wagon,  and  we  took 
our  -places  in  it.  The  whole  turn-out  was  in  good  taste, 
and  when  I  add  that  Charlie  was  the  handsomest  man  in 
the  City  of  Mounds,  it  is  evident  we  would  be  very  likely 
to  attract  our  share  of  attention. 

I  am  not  going  to  trouble  you  with  a  description  of  the 
beautiful  country  that  environs  St.  Louis,  further  than  to 
state  that  I  know  of  no  city  that  is  its  superior  in  beauty 
of  surroundings,  especially  in  the  golden  harvest  time. 
We  were  jogging  along  the  Gravois  road,  when  I  espied 
two  females  a  short  distance  in  advance,  and  as  we  over- 
took them  I  could  not  refrain  from  peering  under  their 
bonnets.  One  of  them  was  transcendently  beautiful.  I 
nudged  Charlie,  whose  attention  was  taken  up  driving  the 
horses,  whispering  "Look,  what  a  beautiful  girl!"  He 
turned  his  head,  and  on  the  first  glimpse,  he,  with  a 
powerful  effort,  almost  set  the  horses  on  their  haunches, 

and  broke  out  with  the  exclamation,  "  Til  be blessed  if 

she  isn't  handsome! "  There  was  a  transient  suffusion  of 
the  girl's  clear  cheek,  and  something  of  a  toss  of  the  pretty 
head,  yet  the  sparkling  eye  and  half  smile  on  the  lip, 
showed  that  she  overlooked  the  impertinence  of  the  very 
handsome  man,  that  had  been  betrayed  into  this  enthusi- 
astic acknowledgment  of  her  beauty.  When  we  returned 
to  the  Abbey,  I  was  still  'full  of  the  adventure,  and  of 
course  must  recount  it  to  the  rest  of  the  brothers  of  the 
spur  and  snaffle  that  were  assembled  in  the  bar-room.  An 
old  gentleman  was  one  of  the  listeners,  who,  after  patiently 
hearing  all  my  encomiums  on  the  fair  unknown,  said, 
"Pshaw!  I'll  bet  she  isn't  half  so  good  looking  as  my 
daughter  Fanny."  A  wager  of  a  dozen  of  wine  was  ac- 
cordingly booked,  and  then  the  puzzling  question  arose, 
how  it  was  to  be  decided.  The  old  man  proposed  sending 
to  the  stable  of  Captain  M.,  who  had  named  a  favorite 


THE     WAGEtt.  283 

mare  after  the  Belle  of ,  and  was  the  fortunate  owner 

of  her  picture.  I  told  him  the  arbitrament  would  not  be 
just,  where  a  picture  had  to  be  taken  into  consideration, 
as  I  knew  our  umpire,  Charlie,  would  acknowledge  that 
there  never  was  a  picture  as  beautiful  as  the  radiant 
blonde.  Charlie  assented,  so  the  decision  was  indefinitely 
postponed. 

Several  days  after  this  the  old  gentleman  came  along  in 
his  buggy  and  invited  me  to  accompany  him  to  the  resi- 
dence of  his  son-in-law,  who  owned  one  of  the  many  fine 
mansions  that  are  situated  a  mile  or  two  from  the  Abbey. 
I  went  with  him,  as  I  had  frequently  done  before,  always 
being  much  pleased  with  his  reminiscences  of  former  daySj 
which  he  recounted  so  admirably  that  scenes  long  passed 
seemed  a  part  of  the  present  time.  He  hitched  his  horse 
to  a  post,  telling  me  he  only  intended  to  stay  a  few  min- 
utes, but  insisted  on  my  going  into  the  house.  We  went 
into  the  drawing-room,  when  he  introduced  me  to  a  pla- 
cid, fine  looking  old  lady,  his  wife.  He  withdrew,  and  soon 
re-appeared  with  a  magnificient  looking  girl  whom  he  in- 
troduced as  his  daughter  Fanny.  I  was  doubly  surprised, 
thinking  she  was  in  New  Orleans,  and  my  natural  bash- 
fulness  was  greatly  augmented  by  the  recollection  of  the 
wager  with  her  father.  After  the  ceremony  of  introduction, 
he  remarked:  "What  do  you  think,  Fanny,  my  young 
friend  here  had  the  audacity  to  bet  with  me  that  he  saw 
on  the  Gravois  road  the  other  day  a  handsomer  woman 
than  you!" 

Of  course  I  could  only  stammer  out  that  when  I  made 
the  wager  I  had  full  confidence  that  I  would  win  it,  that 

never  having  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Miss ,  I  did 

not  think  there  was  a  woman  in  the  world  superior  to  the 
one  I  had  seen,  and  nothing  but  ocular  proof  would  have 
convinced  me  to  the  contrary ;  but  now  I  must  concede 
that  the  bet  had  been  a  rash  one,  and  there  was  no  doubt 


284  HORSE    PORTKAITUEE. 

of  my  having  lost  it  by  a  long  way,  in  turf  parlance,  being 
outside  of  the  distance.  Still  it  was  one  of  those  ventures 
where  the  loss  gives  more  pleasure  than  would  attend  the 
winning.  She  was  very  much  embarrassed,  and  I  was 
glad  when  the  old  gentleman  signified  his  readiness  to 
return.  We  had  hardly  got  into  the  yard  when  he  shouted 
to  Charlie  and  Captain  M.  that  I  had  acknowledged  the 
loss  of  the  wine  bet ;  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  my 
friends  drinking  the  sparkling  champagne,  as  I  cogitated 
on  the  two  beautiful  faces  that  had  been  the  cause  of  the 
flow  of  the  enlivening  fluid. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  am  glad  the  old  man  trapped  you  into 
t^e  loss,  though  I  neither  admire  your  making  the  bar- 
room of  a  track  the  place  to  expatiate  on  female  beauty, 
or  the  want  of  delicacy  in  the  old  man  in  making  the 
statement  in  the  presence  of  his  daughter.  It  was  a  pretty 
shrewd  trick,  however,  as  I  doubt  whether  he  would  have 
ever  got  a  decision  in  his  favor  in  any  other  manner. 

PUPIL. — I  will  engage  that  I  never  lay  myself  liable 
again  to  be  picked  up.  It  was  the  second  time  in  my  life 
that  I  would  have  given  boot  for  a  hollow  log  to  crawl  in, 
and  it  would  not  have  taken  a  very  large  orifice  to  accom- 
modate me  if  my  body  was  as  small  as  I  felt.  The  cigars 
being  still  burning  I  will  recount  the  other  adventure. 
When  I  was  a  young  man  I  had  an  intimate  acquaintance 
in  Dr.  L.  He  was  a  very  highly  educated  man,  and 
though  not  a  member  of  the  F.  F.  V.'s  he  was  still  a  notch 
or  two  up,  belonging  to  a  Philadelphia  family  of  high 
social  position.  From  a  long  series  of  troubles  originat- 
ing in  an  unfortunate  marriage,  his  finely  organized  brain 
had  become  crazed,  though  at  this  time  his  madness  was 
in  a  very  mild  form.  His  friends  sent  him  from  Phila- 
delphia to  that  rough  part  of  Pennsylvania,  where  I  was 
engaged  in  land-surveying,  and  which  had  been  a  favorite 
resort  of  his  in  his  healthy  days.  He  boarded  at  the 


A     KARA     AVIS.  285 

county  seat,  and  occupied  his  time  with  wandering  about 
the  neighborhood  hunting  and  fishing.  He  was  very  select 
in  forming  new  acquaintances,  hardly  ever  going  beyond 
the  circle  of  old  friends. 

He  dubbed  me  Compo,  always  insisting  I  was  the 
nephew  of  an  Indian  chief  with  whom  he  had  hunted  in 
the  then  distant  prairies  of  the -far  West.  At  times  he 
was  rational,  and  it  was  well  worth  while  to  listen  to  his 
vagaries  when  the  hallucination  was  upon  him,  till  the 
interval  of  sanity,  as  then  his  conversation  would  be  of 
great  interest,  and  he  would  vividly  sketch  scenes  that 
had  occurred  in  his  eventful  life.  When  the  cloud  was 
away,  I  never  listened  to  a  person  who  could  more  com- 
pletely absorb  the  attention  of  his  hearers  ;  and  incidents 
of  foreign  travel,  and  adventures  by  sea  and  land,  would 
be  portrayed  so  graphically  that  they  seemed  as  if  actually 
occurring.  When  he  discoursed  of  the  great  men  of  the 
world — being  personally  acquainted  with  many  of  them — 
he  showed  an  acuteness  of  penetration  in  discerning  traits 
of  character,  hidden  to  an  ordinary  observer,  placing  the 
characters  he  was  describing  generally  in  a  more  favorable 
light ;  and  in  talking  of  celebrated  poets,  he  would  dis- 
cover beauties  hitherto  overlooked,  and  he  would  demon- 
strate his  opinions  with  quotations  that  showed  his  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  all  their  writings.  I  have  listened 
with  admiration  to  his  conversation  for  hours,  as  he  went 
over  the  field  of  polite  literature,  giving  me  ideas  that 
greatly  enhanced  the  pleasure  of  reading ;  or  he  would 
entertain  me  with  stories  of  other  countries,  elucidating 
life  and  habit  better  than  I  ever  saw  it  done  in  books.  He 
would  vary  this  by  showing  me  how  to  tie  the  fly  that 
was  best  adapted  for  fishing  in  different  waters,  explain 
some  intricate  problem  at  chess,  set  up  the  rare  birds  and 
animals  that  we  would  kill  in  our  hunting-trips,  his  knowl- 
edge of  ornithology  and  taxidermy  being  second  only  to 

13 


288  HOBSE     POKTEAITUEE. 

those  who  made  these  studies  a  profession.  He  was  as 
delightful  a  companion  as  I  ever  had,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  "disjointed  thoughts"  that  often  shocked  you,  by 
proving  the  wreck  of  the  mind  so  richly  stored,  no  more 
fascinating  one  could  be  found  in  any  country. 

But  I  find  it  will  take  up  too  much  of  our  time  to  give 
an  account  at  present  of  the  scrape  he  got  me  in.  So  I 
will  postpone  relating  it  till  to-morrow's  nooning,  as  I  do 
not  want  to  have  the  recollections  of  those  days  of  romantic 
youth  to  interfere  with  my  understanding  the  subject-mat- 
ter now  before  us,  as  I  am  convinced  there  is  nothing  of 
more  importance  in  the  training  of  horses,  than  fully 
mastering  all  the  intricacies  of  sweating. 

PRECEPTOB. — You  do  not  overestimate  the  bearing  it  has 
on  the  welfare  of  the  horse,  and  if  there  is  any  danger  that 
the  story  you  contemplated  telling  would  interfere  with 
your  attention,  I  am  glad  you  have  postponed  it  to  another 
time.  I  can  easily  foresee  that  making  a  companion  of  a 
lunatic  might  result  in  scrapes,  as  there  is  none  of  us  any 
too  sane  when  the  equilibrium  of  the  brain  is  disturbed, 
which  is  particularly  apt  to  be  the  case  in  that  susceptible 
period  of  life,  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five.  In  resuming 
the  conversation  on  sweating,  I  may  go  over  ground 
I  have  heretofore  traveled.  But  though  a  "twice  told 
tale  "  may  be  tedious,  there  is  no  royal  road  to  the  acquisi- 
tion of  skill  in  any  pursuit,  and  at  the  hazard  of  being 
tiresome  I  will  further  illustrate  the  effects  of  the  treatment. 
I  have  spoken  of  the  change  the  blood  undergoes  in  its 
passage  through  the  lungs,  and  the  transmission  of  some 
of  its  constituents  through  the  pores  of  the  skin.  There 
is  another  function  the  skin  possesses, — that  of  assisting  to 
decarbonize  the  blood.  There  is  no  other  way  by  which 
the  skin  can  be  so  completely  purified  as  by  free  perspira- 
tion. The  little  scales  or  dandruff  that  form  are  very 
hard  to  remove  by  the  currycomb  or  brush,  in  fact  they 


ADVANTAGES  OF  THE  THOKOUGH  B  KED.  287 

cannot  be  thoroughly  got  rid  of  by  their  use,  and  after 
patient  grooming  the  removal  will  only  be  partial.  The 
constant  grooming  produces  soreness  of  the  extremely 
sensitive  vessels  or  bulbs  at  the  root  of  the  hair,  and  we 
irritate  the  horse  without  obtaining  a  suitable  recompense. 
"Washing  with  soap  and  water  is  also  ineffectual,  and  is 
inadmissible,  as  the  horse's  coat  will  soon  show  that  injury 
has  been  done,  if  the  ablutions  are  continued.  The  per- 
spiration lifts  up  the  scales,  and  carries  them  to  the  surface 
of  the  hair,  which  is  proven  by  sweating  a  horse  and 
allowing  him  to  dry,  when  he  will  appear  as  if  powdered 
with  flour.  The  sweating  then  makes  the  skin  actually 
thinner  and  more  supple,  and  of  course  the  air  will  have 
a  greater  effect  on  the  blood-vessels  that  lie  immediately 
under  the  surface. 

PUPIL. — I  have  become  fearful  of  stating  advantages 
which  I  believe  thorough  blood  of  all  others  gives  to  the 
trotter;  but  I  hope  you  will  pardon  me  for  again  calling 
your  attention  to  it  in  connection  with  this  question,  the 
decarbonizing  of  the  blood  through  the  pores  of  the  skin. 
You  see  a  thoroughbred  horse  after  rapid  exertion,  and 
there  is  apparent  a  perfect  network  of  veins  traceable — 
though  in  intricate  confusion — over  the  whole  of  the  body. 
There  are  not  only  many  more  in  sight,  but  they  are  larger 
than  those  of  the  cold-blooded  one.  It  would  be  proper 
to  infer  that  if  those  you  see  are  larger,  it  will  also  be  the 
case  with  those  that  are  hidden,  and  if  we  deduce  from 
this  data  that  the  blood  is  more  perfectly  decarbonized, 
our  reasoning  will  be  correct.  Now,  if  the  blood  has  lost 
this  detrimental  equivalent  through  the  pores  of  the  cuti- 
cular  covering,  there  is  less  labor  for  the  lungs  to  perform 
in  equal  circumstances. 

PRECEPTOR. — In  your  ardor  for  the  thoroughbred,  you 
lose  sight  of  all  I  have  said.  No  one  of  any  sense  will 
argue  against  the  form  and  characteristics  of  the  blood 


288  HOESE     PORTKAITTJKE. 

horse  being  the  best  for  continued  fast  work,  and  I  nave 
to  keep  a  higher  check  on  you  than  I  would,  to  prevent 
you  running  away — or,  rather,  blood  horses  running 
away  with  your  sense,  when  you  claim  to  make  trotters 
of  them.  Their  structure,  muscular,  vascular,  nervous, 
and  osseous,  excel  all  others  for  speed.  The  only  point 
at  issue  between  us  is  the  possession  of  the  trotting  step. 
We  will  not  argue  about  it  now,  and  I  will  admit  that  if 
a  thoroughbred  could  trot  as  fast  as  a  cold-blooded  or 
part-bred  one,  I  would  rather  pay  double  the  money  for 
him. 

The  removal  of  the  dandruff  from  the  skin  facilitates 
the  action  of  the  air  in  this  purifying  process,  and,  you 
say  correctly,  lessens  greatly  the  labor  of  the  lungs.  There 
is  much  waste  from  the  pores  of  the  skin  that  is  not  seen, 
but  which,  nevertheless,  is  going  on  at  all  times.  This  is 
called  insensible  perspiration.  The  evacuations  from  the 
bowels  and  kidneys  carry  off  the  more  gross  residue,  and 
stoppages  in  their  action  is  always  a  cause  of  alarm. 
When  the  skin  becomes  so  clogged  that  it  does  not  per- 
form its  share  in  relieving  the  internal  economy,  the  injury, 
though  not  so  speedily  observed  as  from  the  other  stop- 
pages, will  ultimately  be  very  serious.  The  good  resulting 
from  sweating  is  not  confined  to  merely  ridding  the  animal 
of  fat,  as  it  increases  the  power  of  the  heart,  and  assists 
the  lungs  in  performing  their  duty. 

PUPIL. — I  have  read  that,  in  the  great  race  of  five  heats 
of  four  miles  each  which  was  won  by  Black  Maria — the 
grant  aunt  of  the  Falcon — she  lost  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  pounds  in  weight.  I  suppose  it  was  as  severe  a  race 
as  ever  was  run,  the  fifth  heat  being  only  forty-one  seconds 
slower  than  the  first,  and  the  black  mare  ran  for  every 
heat,  not  having  been  laid  up  in  any  of  them. 

PRECEPTOR. — It  appears  almost  incredible  that  a  horse 
could  lose  so  much  as  that  in  so  short  a  time,  no  matter 


BEDUCING     HOESES    BY    SWEATING.    289 

how  severe  the  work  had  been,  but  if  so  stated  by  Mr. 
Stevens,  there  is  no  doubt  of  its  being  the  case.  He  was 
very  methodical  in  all  of  his  business,  and  his  training- 
stable  was  as  perfect  as  money  and  skill  could  make  it. 
There  was  a  weighing-machine  connected  with  it,  and  the 
reductions  in  the  weight  of  the  horses,  as  the  training 
progressed,  carefully  noted.  The  results  of  each  sweat  and 
trial  could  thus  readily  be  seen,  and  the  presumption 
is,  from  the  success  that  generally  attended  his  stable,  that 
his  horses  were  usually  in  good  condition.  He  had  a  room 
fitted  up  with  hot-air  pipes,  and  is,  probably,  the  first 
who  used  the  Roman  bath  in  the  training  of  horses.  How 
it  succeeded  with  him  I  have  never  learned,  but  I  believe, 
from  engagements  with  the  government  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  floating  battery,  and  which  absorbed  his  whole 
time,  the  training  was  discontinued  soon  after  the  erection 
of  the  bath.  My  intention  was  at  first  to  show  the  differ- 
ence between  sweating  with  hot  air  and  clothing,  when 
hot  air  might  be  used  to  advantage,  &c.,  but,  as  I  believe, 
in  the  training  of  trotters,  that  the  benefit  derived  would 
not  equal  the  expense  of  construction  and  the  care  re- 
quisite for  its  successful  use,  we  will  confine  our  attention 
to  the  more  simple  mode.  Scales  that  we  could  weigh  the 
horses  on  would  be  of  great  service,  and  would  materially 
assist  us  in  coming  to  correct  conclusions  regarding  the 
effects  of  the  various  sweats;  and  problems  in  work  and 
feeding  could  also  be  demonstrated  more  effectually. 

PUPIL. — In  preparing  the  Falcon  for  a  ten-mile  race,  I 
reduced  him  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  in  three 
weeks,  sweating  him  once  a  week,  with  a  great  deal  more 
work  between  them  than  I  would  give  now.  In  all  the 
horses  I  have  had  to  deal  with,  he  is  the  only  one  that  I 
could  reduce  so  rapidly  without  injury.  No  difference 
how  long  the  distance,  how  fast  the  pace,  or  how  many 
clothes  he  was  wrapped  in,  he  never  exhibited  the  least 


290  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

symtoms  of  distress,  though  I  am  satisfied  I  worked  him 
too  much,  and  sacrificed  his  speed  without  its  being  ne- 
cessary. 

PBECEPTOE. — Very  probably  you  did.  Because  a  horse 
has  that  quality  we  denominate  bottom  or  endurance,  with 
game  that  does  not  show  distress,  if  peradventure,  he  feels 
it,  we  are  very  apt  to  overwork  him.  The  great  difference 
between  training  race  horses  now  and  in  former  days, 
exemplifies  the  truth  of  this  statement.  The  trainer,  of 
Haney's  Maria — a  mare  that  beat  almost  everything  she 
ran  with —  would  gallop  her,  at  times,  ten  or  twelve  miles. 
A  person  who  would  do  so  now  would  be  thought  crazier 
than  your  friend  the  doctor,  and  it  was  only  by  having  a 
nonpareil  that  this  fellow  was  enabled  to  win  at  all. 
Horses  now  run  the  four  miles  in  time  that  would  have 
been  looked  at  in  her  day  as  an  impossibilty,  and  show  as 
little  fatigue  as  when  the  time  was  half  a  minute  slower. 
Better  horses,  better  tracks,  and  better  training  have 
accomplished  this,  and  the  last  named  has  done  its  full 
share. 

We  will  now  to  the  stable,  where  our  first  duty  will  be 
to  prepare  a  mash  for  Never  Mind-  I  have  no  great  faith 
in  medicated  mashes,  and  usually  confine  myself  to  bran, 
oats,  salt,  and  a  decoction  of  sassafras.  The  last  has,  I 
think,  a  beneficial  effect  in  making  the  system  less  liable 
to  febrile  excitement,  which  is  the  most  to  be  dreaded  and 
guarded  against  after  sweating.  When  this  is  done,  I 
will  see  you  drive  the  colts.  We  will  make  May  wear  the 
large  roll  I  spoke  of,  and  see  if  her  action  changes  any 
when  going  round  the  turn.  The  effect  will  be  more  no- 
ticeable when  first  applied  than  after  she  has  become 
somewhat  accustomed  to  it. 

I  have  said  nothing  yet  about  the  difference  between 
growing  and  matured  horses,  both  as  to  the  necessity 
and  the  effects  of  sweating.  There  is  a  vast  difference;  so 


MASH     PKEVIOUS     TO     SWEATING.         291 

* 

mucJU  so,  that  the  treatment  we  give  an  aged  horse  would 
nearly  destroy  a  colt.  The  first  will  bear  a  far  greater 
reduction  of  his  bulk  than  a  colt  would,  when  to  the  eye 
he  would  appear  to  be  much  in  the  same  order;  and  a 
horse  will  be  in  proper  condition  to  trot,  when  his  ribs 
would  show  to  the  eye,  while  the  colt's  should  be  covered 
with  quite  a  coating  of  flesh.  The  reason  is,  that  young 
animals  are  not  so  fat  inside  as  the  older,  and  reducing 
them  in  size  would  be  accompanied  by  the  wasting  of  the 
muscles.  Till  colts  can  trot  fast  enough  to  fatigue  them- 
selves, there  will  be  no  necessity  for  sweating  them  further 
than  what  is  required  for  a  complete  purification  of  the 
skin.  I  allude  to  sweating  under  clothes.  As  the  weather 
becomes  warmer,  they  will  sweat  enough  in  their  work  to 
answer  all  their  purposes.  I  think  that  reducing  May 
much  would  further  endanger  her  cutting  her  pasterns, 
and  she  will  have  to  be  kept  as  high  as  is  compatible  with 
clearness  of  wind.  Now  for  the  mash,  which  we  will  make 
with  three  quarts  of  bran,  two  of  oats,  a  table-spoonful  of 
salt,  with  boiling  water  enough  (in  which  is  placed  the 
sassafras)  to  saturate  the  mass,  covering  it  so  there  will 
be  no  escape  of  steam.  It  will  become  thoroughly  cool 
before  it  is  fed,  which  is  the  object  in  making  it  so  long 
beforehand.  Unless  I  want  to  steam  the  nasal  passages, 
as  in  distemper,  or  for  the  relief  of  colds,  or  other  med- 
icinal purposes,  I  prefer  giving  the  mashes  cold. 

PUPIL. — May's  shoes  have  not  yet  been  changed  for  the 
ones  you  recommended,  and  I  have  not  speeded  her  since 
the  morning  you  saw  her  go. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  want  to  watch  her  closely  before  her 
present  shoes  are  removed,  and  will  only  keep  the  roll  on 
long  enough  to  observe  the  changes  it  causes  in  her  action. 
I  feel  very  confident  that  increasing  the  weight  in  her 
hind  shoes  will  have  a  beneficial  effect,  which  experiment 
will  either  prove  to  be  correct,  or  confute  that  presumption, 


292  HOESE     POKTEAITUBE. 

when  we  shall  have  to  discover  some  other  remedy.  There 
is  not  so  much  chance  to  change  the  action  of  the  hind 
legs  as  there  is  the  legs  in  front,  there  being  no  posterior 
joint,  where  the  motion  is  so  free  and  as  capable  of  being 
modulated,  as  the  knee.  You  can  now  harness  her,  jog 
five  or  six  miles,  and  by  that  time  I  will  be  on  the  track 
to  see  her  move. 

PUPIL. — I  have  driven  the  specified  distance  slow.  What 
will  be  the  next  order  of  exercises  ? 

PRECEPTOR. — Go  the  next  round  a  three-and-a-half  gait, 
and  as  you  come  down  the  stretch,  let  it  be  at  her  best 
speed.  Pull  her  up  at  the  stand,  and  take  a  medium  rate 
till  you  come  here  again,  when  you  can  go  round  the  turn 
as  fast  as  you  can  drive  without  her  breaking;  then  turn 
round  at  the  quarter  post  and  come  back. 

PTJPLL. — There  is  some  pleasure  in  driving  her,  apart 
from  that  sideling  motion,  which  is  provoking  enough. 
In  every  other  particular  she  will  do  just  as  you  want  her. 
Should  anything  have  been  different  from  what  you 
intended,  I  am  to  blame,  as  the  mare  went  exactly  as  I 
directed  her  to  go. 

PRECEPTOR. — All  was  very  proper.  Throw  the  blanket 
and  hood  on  her,  and  let  the  boy  walk  her  up  the  stretch. 
I  saw  nothing  in  her  movement  to  cause  me  to  change  the 
opinion  I  have  heretofore  expressed.  I  think  she  touched 
a  little  when  she  went  round  the  turn.  We  will  now  put 
the  roll  on,  when  you  can  drive  her  up  the  stretch  to  the 
three-quarter  pole,  coming  down  at  speed,  which  you  will 
keep  up  half  way  round  the  turn.  Stop  there,  and  come 
back  as  fast  as  you  can. 

That  will  do  ;  drive  her  to  the  barn,  unharness.  She 
is  not  wet  enough  to  scrape  ;  so  have  the  boys  straighten 
her  hair  nicely,  clothe  her  with  blankets  and  hood,  and 
walk  her  half  an  hour,  when  she  can  be  rubbed  and 
cleaned,  the  soles  of  her  feet  washed,  stuffed  with  moist 


KIGHT     BEFOKE     THE     SWEAT.  293 

tow,  and  to-morrow  afternoon  we  will  have  her  shod.  I 
am  convinced  the  shoeing  and  use  of  this  roll  will  work  a 
cure,  as  it  certainly  made  a  good  deal  of  change  in  her 
gait,  and  that  is  favorable.  As  it  protects  the  part  where 
she  strikes,  she  will  soon  learn  not  to  be  afraid  of  the 
blow. 

You  can  walk  Never  Mind  the  usual  time  this  evening; 
give  him  two  quarts  of  water  and  the  mash,  in  lieu  of  his 
regular  feed  of  grain.  Give  only  what  hay  you  can  span 
in  your  hand,  have  his  bed  well  prepared,  and  put  the 
setting  muzzle  on  as  soon  as  he  finishes  his  lock  of  hay. 
In  the  morning,  give  him  one  quart  of  oats  when  the  other 
horses  are  fed, — no  water;  and  as  soon  as  he  finishes  the 
grain,  replace  the  muzzle.  I  will  be  here  in  good  season, 
to  give  further  directions. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

NEVER  MIND'S  FIRST   SWEAT — PREPARATION,     AND    METHOD    PUR- 
SUED— BREEDING   TROTTERS — PEDIGREES. 

• 

PRECEPTOR. — The  morning  is  all  that  we  could  ask. 
There  could  not  be  a  better  time  for  the  business  we  have 
on  hand.  The  air  is  warm  without  murkiness,  and  the 
breeze  is  only  sufficient  to  keep  it  in  motion.  By  the  time 
the  sun  is  a  few  degrees  higher,  the  vital  fluid  will  be  as 
bland  as  that  ladened  with  the  fragrance  of  rose  and 
jasamine  wafted  from  the  gardens  of  Ghul.  It  is  a  great 
annoyance  to  prepare  a  horse  for  a  sweat,  and  have  the 
time  appointed  unpropitious;  though  if  the  weather  is  not 
too  bad  I  prefer  to  give  it,  than  to  postpone  to  another 
time.  Should  the  weather  be  such  that  it  would  be  im- 
politic to  attempt  the  sweating,  I  should  put  it  off  for  three 
or  four  days,  commencing  again  the  preparation  from  the 
outset.  I  do  not  like  to  muzzle  a  horse  two  nights  in 
succession,  though  there  are  some  very  gross  feeders  that 
require  the  appliance  of  the  muzzle  at  all  times,  to  keep 
them  from  eating  the  bedding.  Even  in  such  a  case  I 
would  rather  substitute  some  other  material  for  bedding 
than  straw,  though  there  is  nothing  else  so  well  adapted 
for  the  purpose.  Sawdust  soon  heats  from  the  mixture 
of  urine,  and  is  then  very  detrimental  to  the  horse's  feet; 
and  there  is  danger  to  the  lungs  from  the  particles  of  dust 
that  arise  whenever  the  horse  moves.  In  the  summer 
time,  I  prefer  sand  to  any  other  substitute.  By  filling  the 
stall  to  a  depth  of  six  or  eight  inches,  the  horse  has  a  very 


PREPARATIONS    FOR     THE     SWEAT.        295 

comfortable  bed  to  lie  on,  and  when  standing,  it  gives  a 
uniform  support  to  the  sole  and  frog.  It  never  becomes 
heated,  and  whatever  portion  of  it  adheres  to  the  skin  is 
easily  removed  by  the  wisp  or  brush.  There  is  nothing 
so  good  for  making  a  "wallowing  bed;"  and  when  we  see 
how  much  pleasure  a  horse  takes  in  tumbling  about  in 
it,  we  must  conclude  that  it  is  not  an  uncomfortable 
couch  for  him  to  repose  on.  By  the  way,  we  will  soon 
have  to  make  a  place  for  the  horses  to  roll,  as  I  hold  it  is 
of  great  service  at  all  times,  and  we  are  repaid  for  the  trou- 
ble, if  only  for  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  them  enjoy  a  good 
wallow.  Have  the  boy  throw  a  kersey  and  hood  on  Never 
Mind,  and  walk  him  in  hand  for  an  hour.  In  the  mean- 
time, you  can  drive  Falcon;  jog  him  five  miles,  and  drive 
one  moderately  fast,  allowing  him  to  go  a  three-minute 
gait  on  the  stretches. 

PUPIL. — I  have  complied  with  your  instructions,  but 
was  disappointed  in  not  seeing  you  on  the  track  to  tell 
me  how  well  I  did  it. 

PKECEPTOE. — I  wanted  to  watch  Never  Mind  while  he 
was  walking,  to  see  that  he  emptied  himself  as  he  ought, 
and  to  note  the  appearance  of  the  evacuations,  before  any 
change  of  color  took  place  from  exposure  to  the  air.  The 
excrements  are  just  right, — a  bright  yellow  color,  without 
any  hard  exterior  coating,  and  of  the  right  consistency. 
The  mash  has  performed  its  functions  so  far  admirably. 
While  the  appearance  of  the  foeces  is  as  I  desire  to  see 
them  at  present,  it  would  not  do  for  them  to  be  of  this 
character  if  the  horse  was  expected  to  go  in  a  race.  But 
we  must  now  prepare  him  further,  and  have  no  time  at 
present  for  the  consideration  of  anything  diverse  from  the 
business  in  hand.  Have  him  brought  into  the  stable, 
lightly  wisped  over  his  whole  body,  and  the  hair  smoothed, 
when  we  will  clothe  him.  There,  that  will  do.  Now  take 
hold  of  this  long,  soft  blanket,  bring  the  corners  together, 


296  H.OESE     PORTBAITTJKE. 

so  that  it  will  be  the  full  length  and  half  the  width,  throw 
it  over  his  back  and  bring  the  end  under  his  belly;  be 
very  careful  to  have  it  straight  and  free  from  wrinkles.  It 
now  laps  a  little  more  than  a  foot;  but  I  perceive  there 
has  been  a  matter  neglected  that  is  of  moment.  There 
are  no  strings,  and  we  will  have  to  fasten  it  with  skewers, 
which  I  dislike  very  much.  There  ought  to  have  been 
four  strings  sewed  on  to  the  side  of  the  blanket,  a  little  be- 
low where  it  covers  the  backbone,  and  the  same  number 
on  the  end  that  we  brought  between  the  fore  and  hind 
legs.  Then  it  can  be  fastened  securely,  without  running 
any  risk  of  wounding  the  skin,  as  there  always  is  from  the 
skewers. 

We  will  now  take'  this  lighter  and  smaller  blanket,  and 
after  doubling  it  in  the  same  way,  fold  it  as  many  times 
around  the  neck,  enveloping  it  with  several  thicknesses 
from  the  shoulders  to  the  ears.  The  next  blanket  will  be 
similar  to  the  first,  only  we  do  not  double  it,  but  cover  the 
horse  all  over,  tying  it  round  the  breast  and  under  the 
tail,  fastening  it  every  few  inches  as  low  as  the  gaskin.  A 
hood  will  be  the  next  thing,  having  no  ear  pieces,  and 
large  enough  to  cover  the  shoulders,  being  tied  behind  the 
lore  legs.  A  heavy  kersey  suit  of  clothes  carefully  adjust- 
ed, with  the  breast-plate  loose  enough  not  to  interfere 
with  the  free  motion  of  the  legs;  the  hood  with  earpieces 
and  a  flank  girth  buckled  in  its  appropriate  place,  and  the 
costume  is  complete,  leaving  no  part  uncovered,  except- 
ing the  legs  from  the  knees  and  hocks  down,  and  the  eyes 
and  muzzle.  The  harness  has  to  be  enlarged  to  meet  the 
necessities  of  the  clothing,  and  rolls  are  put  on  above  all 
the  fetlocks  to  prevent  bruising  of  the  joints.  The  horse 
is  now  ready  to  go  into  the  shafts,  but  before  we  go  to  the 
track  we  will  prepare  a  drink  for  him,  by  taking  a  hand- 
ful of  linseed,  or  two  of  oatmeal,  and  making  a  thin  gruel, 
which  we  temper  with  boiling  water,  so  that  it  will  be  a 


SWEATING     KEYER     MI  KB.  297 

little  above  blood  heat.      You  can  now  walk  him  once 
round,  and  jog  him  slowly  twice,  when  you  can  stop  him. 

That  is  very  good.  "Wait  till  he  gets  a  mouthful  or  two 
of  the  drink.  The  perspiration  is  starting,  and  this  hot 
gruel  will  facilitate  the  flow.  The  next  two  rounds  drive 
a  little  faster,  when  you  can  bring  him  to  the  barn.  We 
are  in  great  luck.  The  hair  is  now  fully  charged  with 
moisture,  and  you  will  soon  see  as  "  free  a  delivery  "  as 
you  could  wish  for.  Turn  him  around  in  the  stable,  so 
that  his  head  will  be  at  the  heel  post;  close  the  door  and 
bring  plenty  of  blankets,  and  we  will  throw  three  or  four 
extra  ones  on  him,  retaining  every  particle  of  heat.  See 
how  he  begins  to  labor  in  breathing,  and  put  your  finger 
on  the  artery  on  the  inner  side  of  the  jaw  bone;  the  pulse 
is  rapid,  and  the  artery  so  full  that  it  slips,  on  the  least 
pressure,  from  under  the  finger.  Give  him  another  swal- 
.low  of  the  gruel.  The  perspiration  is  beginning  to  start 
down  the  legs.  Look  at  that  big  drop;  it  runs  an  inch  or 
two;  stops;  takes  a  diagonal  course;  here  is  an'other  one 
following  it,  and  now  three  or  four  little  rivulets  are  run- 
ning down  the  arms,  and  joining  in  one  stream  below  the 
knee.  Very  large  globules  have  oozed  through  the  blanket 
we  first  wrapped  him  in,  and  the  weight  of  it  is  so  much 
increased  that  it  bags  down  as  far  as  the  fastenings  will 
permit.  Do  not  be  alarmed  at  this  profuse  flow;  I  want 
it  to  run  a  few  minutes  longer;  you  can  see  that  the 
horse  does  not  labor  in  breathing  as  much  as  he  did, — and 
clap  your  finger  once  more  on  the  artery.  It  has  an  elastic 
feel  in  place  of  the  rigid,  tense  cord,  that  eluded  you  at 
first,  while  the  beatings  are  not  so  rapid. 

Get  the  scrapers  and  rubbers  ready.  Take  a  scraper 
yourself,  give  Tom  another,  and  let  Con  and  Cooley  be 
prepared  with  the  largest  and  softest  salt  sack  rubbers. 
Unbuckle  the  hood  straps  and  the  fastenings  of  the  breast- 
plate. Throw  the  hoods  back  on  the  loin,  and  turn  back 


298  HOUSE, POETEAITU  it  E. 

the  clothes  so  as  to  expose  the  chest.  Throw  that  neck 
wrapper  on  one  side.  Use  your  scrapers  carefully,  only 
bearing  on  enough  to  force  the  water  from  the  hair.  You, 
boys,  rub  him  lightly  between  and  around  the  ears.  Your 
cloths  will  absorb  more  moisture  if  you  do  not  bear  on. 
Now  unbuckle  the  flank  girth;  throw  the  clothes  over  his 
chest  and  neck,  lay  the  belly  wrapper  on  one  side;  it  is 
heavier  now  than  all  the  clothes  were  when  first  put  on. 
Scrape  his  sides,  back,  and  quarters.  How  the  froth  bub- 
bles !  We  will  have  different  looking  and  feeling  sweat  from 
this  in  a  month  or  two.  Be  very  careful  not  to  irritate  him 
when  you  scrape  the  inside  of  the  thigh  and  flanks;  throw 
the  clothes  back  :  his  neck  will  now  scrape  again.  Go  all 
over  him  once  more,  but  before  you  begin  throw  off  these 
extra  blankets.  Now  you  can  throw  them  all  off.  Tom, 
you  can  also  take  a  rubber,  and  rub  his  loin  briskly. 

You,  my  scholar,  get  some  dry  clothes,  a  pair  of  those 
large,  fine  English  blankets,  and  a  hood  of  the  same  mate- 
rial. Smooth  his  hair  by  running  the  rubbing-cloths  the 
right  way  of  it,  and  do  not  ruffle  it  as  you  put  the  dry 
clothes  on.  This  time  tie  the  blankets  outside  of  the  tail, 
put  your  lightest  cover  over  the  blanket,  and,  Con,  you 
can  walk  him  in  the  ring  till  you  are  called  in.  The  rest 
of  you  take  the  outside  clothes,  and  hang  them  in  the  air 
to  dry.  The  neck  and  belly  wrapper  place  in  a  tub  of 
water  to  soak.  Get  some  dry,  clean  rubbers,  the  foot  tub, 
hot  water,  and  bring  me  a  small-sized  pail,  so  that  I  can 
prepare  his  drink  for  the  day,  which  will  be  eight  quarts 
of  tepid  water,  with  a  table- spoonful  of  the  best  cream  of 
tartar  in  it.  He  must  not  be  allowed  to  drink  any  more 
than  this  till  to-morrow  morning — given  by  pouring  two 
quarts  of  it  at  a  time  into  another  bucket,  so  that  he  will 
not  be  tantalized  by  seeing  more  than  we  want  him  to 
drink,  which  will  also  satisfy  his  thirst  better.  The  object 
in  restricting  him  in  the  water  is  that  the  absorbents  will 


AFTEK     THE     SWEAT.  299 

then  take  hold  of  the  fat,  which  they  would  not  do  if  we 
gave  him  an  unlimited  supply  of  fluid.  The  tartaric  acid 
not  only  assists  to  allay  the  thirst,  but  its  refrigerating 
properties  are  beneficial  in  guarding  against  feverish 
symptoms. 

He  has  now  walked  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  so  you  can 
call  Con  to  bring  him  in.  He  is  drying  capitally.  Take 
a  handful  of  hay,  dip  it  in  the  acidulated  water,  and  let 
him  pick  it  out  of  your  hand,  while  the  boys  rub  out  these 
damp  places.  Now  throw  a  linen  sheet  on  him  in  place 
of  the  blanket,  put  the  cover  over  that,  and  walk  him 
slowly  for  twenty  minutes.  I  never  saw  a  horse  do  better 
than  he  has.  Look  at  his  eye,  it  is  as  bright  as  those  of  an 
eastern  Odalisque,  and  does  not  need  the  application  of 
henna  to  heighten  its  radiance.  Now  wash  the  soles  and 
crust  of  his  feet  with  cold  water,  place  him  in  the  foot 
tubs,  and  after  applying  castile  soap,  thoroughly  wash 
with  warm  water  his  legs  from  the  knees  and  hocks  down. 
When  that  is  done,  dip  a  set  of  bandages  in  hot  water,  and 
swathe  his  legs  from  the  knee  to  the  coronet.  Fix  up  his 
bedding,  give  him  two  quarts  of  the  drink,  as  directed, 
two  quarts  of  the  prepared  oats  and  hominy,  and  two  or 
three  pounds  of  hay,  which  it  will  be  well  enough  to 
dampen.  When  this  is  eaten,  put  on  the  muzzle,  and  leave 
him  undisturbed  till  the  next  feed.  You  have  now  seen 
the  manner  in  which  I  give  the  first  sweat  to  a  horse  that 
is  robust — iusty,  as  the  English  say.  If  there  is  a  point 
that  is  not  clear,  I  am  ready  to  answer  any  questions. 

PUPIL. — I  think  I  can  see  from  your  former  conversa- 
tions the  object  of  each  part  of  the  proceedings.  When 
the  horse  was  laboring  so  hard,  however,  as  the  extra 
blankets  were  put  on,  I  should  have  been  uneasy  if  you 
had  not  been  present,  and,  if  left  to  myself,  would  have 
been  trying  some  plan  to  relieve  him,  especially  when  I 
discovered  the  pulse  so  high,  and  the  artery  so  tense. 


300  HOUSE     POETEAITUEE. 

PEECEPTOE. — The  reasons  for  throwing  on  the  additional 
clothing  were,  that  those  he  wore  during  the  exercise 
did  not  sufficiently  retain  the  heat,  and  the  rapid  loss  of 
the  watery  and  oily  portions  of  the  blood  would  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  absorbing  vessels  acting  sooner  on  the  fat, 
than  they  would  otherwise  have  done  if  the  clothing  had 
not  been  augmented.  By  keeping  up  the  flow  by  their 
use,  we  approximated  to  the  benefits  derived  from  the 
heated  air  bath,  and  reduced  him  more  than  we  possibly 
could  have  done  with  prolonged  exercise,  which  would 
have  endangered  his  legs.  I  can  only  guess  at  the  pounds 
avoirdupois  he  has  lost ;  but  when  you  consider  the  in- 
creased weight  of  the  inner  wrappings,  and  the  amount  of 
water  that  flowed  from  the  scraper,  it  must  amount  to  a 
considerable  depreciation  of  his  former  weight.  The 
manner  of  giving  sweats  will  vary  as  the  preparation 
proceeds,  and  the  different  horses  will  also  require  a  change 
of  treatment.  There  will  be  very  little  change  in  the  case 
of  Never  Mind  in  the  plan  pursued  to  day,  until  we  get 
rid  of  a  good  portion  of  the  inside  fat  he  is  encumbered 
with. 

You  can  now  harness  Jane,  and,  while  jogging  her,  fol- 
low the  previous  instructions  not  to  pull  at  her.  If  she 
wants  to  go  faster  than  you  desire,  bring  her  to  a  full  stop, 
and  mind  that  you  do  it  with  a  resolute  hand,  emulating 
the  manner  your  friend  Charlie  stopped  his  team,  when 
thunderstruck  with  the  beautiful  female  on  the  Gravois 
road.  The  effect  of  a  sudden  pull  of  that  description  is 
tenfold  greater  than  when  the  mouth  has  become  nunib 
from  lugging  at  the  bit,  and  the  mare  will  not  only  suc- 
cumb at  the  time,  but  the  lesson  will  be  a  good  one  to 
regulate  her  future  conduct  by. 

PUPIL. — Jane  appears  to  be  well  contented  with  the  pace 
you  have  fixed  for  her  to  go,  and  jogs  as  quietly  as  could 
be  asked.  I  am  all  anxiety  to  see  her  go  fast,  for  if  she  is 


BKEEDIKG  OF  TKOTTEES.        30i 

as  amenable  then  in  proportion  as  she  is  now,  we  will 
certainly  have  one  trotter  in  the  string. 

PEECEPTOE. — Unless  you  have  your  heart  set  on  a  won- 
derful rate  of  speed,  I  think  you  will  be  gratified  by  the 
possession  of  more  than  one  trotter.  There  may  be  as 
much  profit  and  pleasure  in  a  horse  that  can  safely  trot  in 
thirty,  as  one  that  goes  eight  or  ten  seconds  less.  With 
the  very  fast  horse  there  are  only  occasional  opportunities 
of  trotting  him  in  races,  while  others  can  be  trotted  as 
often  as  we  desire.  From  the  greater  number  of  second- 
rate  horses,  there  is  no  trouble  in  making  up  fields,  and 
the  best  races — running  and  trotting — are  generality  those 
which  this  class  figure  in.  No  further  business  appearing 
for  the  morning  consideration,  we  will  take  up  our  line  of 
march  for  the  house. 

We  will  resume  a  subject  that  has  been  dropped  for 
some  time, — the  Breeding  of  Trotters.  Without  being  as 
enthusiastic  as  you,  in  all  that  pertains  to  their  conception 
and  rearing,  I  am,  nevertheless,  greatly  interested  in  it. 
In  former  talks  I  have  trod  on  your  corns  by  underrating 
"  the  advantage  of  racing-blood  in  trotters,"  till  I  am  sorry 
to  see  that  you  have  become  very  sensitive  whenever  the 
subject  is  broached.  I  must  confess  that  I  have  carried 
my  objections  further  then  I  intended.  My  predilections 
being  strongly  in  favor  of  blood,  I  was  induced  to  follow 
this  course,  the  better  to  arrive  at  a  candid  consideration 
of  the  drawbacks,  as  well  as  the  advantages,  of  breeding 
road  horses  from  the  source  purified  in  the  alembic  of  the 
race  course.  Throwing  aside,  as  far  as  lies  in  our  power, 
all  predisposition  for  or  against  the  thoroughbreds,  we  may 
derive  benefit  from  further  deliberation;  though  I  had 
forgotten,  when  proposing  this,  that  you  had  promised  the 
denouement  of  your  adventure  with  the  crazy  Doctor,  and 
will  be  gratified  to  listen  to  it.  Our  time  after  dinner  will 
only  give  us  space  enough  to  consume  a  cigar,  as  I  want 


802  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

to  be  at  tlie  stable  when  feeding- time  arrives;  so  propel, 
as  the  negro  minstrels  say. 

PUPIL. — If  you  leave  the  choice  to  me,  I  shall  select 
breeding  as  the  more  interesting  topic,  now  that  your 
thoughts  are  running  that  way;  the  "  yarn  "  will  keep  cold 
well  enough.  As  to  my  enthusiasm,  a  person  of  ardent 
temperament  cannot  avoid  being  enthusiastic  when  en- 
gaged in  raising  colts  from  favorite  stock.  The  anxiety 
to  see  whether  his  expectations  have  been  realized,  causes 
him  to  watch  the  advent  of  the  colt  with  as  much  concern 
as  the  gambler  looks  for  the  appearance  of  the  card  on 
which  his  last  dollar  has  been  staked.  With  what  soli- 
citude he  superintends  its  awkward  attempts  to  draw 
nourishment  from  a  source  it  is  yet  unacquainted  with, 
till  he  is  finally  gratified  with  hearing  the  lacteal  nuil 
gurgling  down  its  throat,  and  is  more  than  pleased  wit:u 
the  satisfaction  it  mutely  expresses  with  the  sugary  draught 
How  interestedly  he  watches  it  staggering  along,  leaning 
against  its  mother,  not  knowing  yet  how  to  use  those  limbd 
that  soon  will  be  so  pliant !  How  much  comfort  is  expressed 
in  the  pantomime,  wiien  it  stretches  itself  on  the  green 
sward,  bathed  in  the  warm  rays  of  sunshine,  that  in 
invigorating  its  frame  so  powerfully  that  only  a  few  daysi 
will  elapse  before  it  will  be  gamboling,  with  all  the  grace 
that  it  is  possible  for  an  animal  to  show.  There  is  positive 
affection,  akin  to  the  feeling  for  the  dearest  of  the  human 
family,  for  a  colt,  as  it  licks  the  sugar  from  your  hand,  and 
whinnies  at  your  approach,  gladly  recognizing  you  as  its 
"next  best  friend." 

PKECEPTOK. — I  have  no  doubt  that  breeding  horses  is  a 
very  fascinating  pursuit,  and  that  the  ownership  acquired 
in  that  way  induces  warmer  feelings  than  those  that  result 
from,  purchase.  The  breeding  I  am  going  to  speak  of  is 
retrospective,  and  the  teachings  of  the  past  ought  to  be  a 
guide  for  the  future,  in  this  as  well  as  other  pursuits. 


THE     MESSENGER     BLOOD.  303 

"With  few  exceptions,  the  trotters  of  the  present  day  belong 
to  three  families  or  strains,  the  superior  of  which  is  the 
Messenger.  Messenger  not  only  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
list,  as  the  remote  ancestor  of  trotters,  but  it  is  very  hard 
to  find  a  celebrity,  accredited  to  the  other  families,  that 
has  not  some  of  his  blood.  Among  the  very  fast  ones  in 
lineal  descent  from  him  through  their  sires,  are  Geo. 
"Wilkes,  Dexter,  Lady  Thome  and  Gen.  Butler — the  two 
first  mentioned  having  a  greater  proportion  of  the  blood, 
through  the  inbreeding  of  their  sire,  a  great  grandson  o 
the  patriarch.  Lady  Thome,  through  her  dam,  has  also 
a  cross  of  the  blood,  viz  :  Gano-Eclipse-Miller's-Damsel- 
Messenger.  The  Bashaws  would  come  next,  as  they  are 
represented  by  Lady  Emma,  Geo.  M.  Patchen,  Jr.,  and 
Lucy.  The  Pilot  family  have  Pilot  Temple,  Dixie,  Tacky, 
and  other  good  ones.  John  Morgan,  the  best  of  this  line, 
had  the  Messenger  cross  through  the  sire  of  his  dam, 
Medoc.  The  once  celebrated  Morgan  has  scions,  that  are 
superior  to  any  that  were  on  the  turf  in  their  palmy  days, 
in  the  inare  by  Ethan  Allen  out  of  the  pacer  Pocahontas, 
and  Holla  Gold  Dust.  The  Messenger  crops  out  through 
the  fleet  pacer,  in  the  same  way  as  Lady  Thorne  and  John 
Morgan,  she  being  a  great  grand-daughter  of  Eclipse  ; 
Holla  Gold  Dust  has,  I  believe,  the  same  cross.  From  the 
prevalence  of  Messenger  blood  in  the  section  where  the 
Bashaws  originated — from  the  imported  Barb — there  has 
been  a  great  intermingling  of  the  streams.  The  stallion 
Andrew  Jackson,  a  grand-son  of  the  Barb,  has  been  the 
occasion  of  their  eminence.  He  was  the  sire  of  Henry 
Clay,  Long  Island  Black  Hawk,  Kemble  Jackson,  &c.  His 
dam  was  by  Why  Not,  by  Messenger,  and  his  grandam 
also  by  Messenger. 

Again  :  Jupiter,  a  son  of  Long  Island  Black  Hawk,  and 
the  sire  of  Lady  Emma,  had  two  crosses,  his  dam  Gipsey 
being  by  Almack,  a  grandson,  and  her  dam  by  Mambrino 


304  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

a  son  of  Messenger's.  The  best  illustration,  however,  of 
the  breeding  of  trotters,  in  the  section  long  celebrated  for 
having  the  best,  is  the  pedigree  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
universally  conceded  to  be  the  most  successful  progenitor 
of  fast  trotters,  for  the  truth  of  which  the  record  is  convinc- 
ing proof : 


•g  ,  Messenger 

(  MambrinoJ  (  Sourkrout 

£       Abdallah   4  )  dam -j  I  Whirligig 

(  Amazonia  '  (  dam •< 

(  Miss  Slamerkin 

{imp  Bellfounder  (  Messenger 

C  •< 

One  Eye <  Hambletonian  (  dam  by  Messenger 

(  dam  by  Messenger 


This  pedigree  shows  more  inbreeding  than  that  of  Lady 
Suffolk  or  Ariel,  which  you  instanced  as  proving  that  the 
danger  of  incestuous  crosses  might  not  be  as  imminent 
as  was  generally  believed,  and  this  horse  will  greatly 
strengthen  your  argument.  His  grandam,  though  only 
a  grand-daughter  of  Messenger,  had  five  parts  in  eight  of 
his  blood,  which  would  give  the  Bellfounder  mare  five  in 
sixteen,  and  Eysdyk's  Hambletonian,  therefore,  obtained 
from  her  five  in  thirty-two,  and  from  his  sire,  Abdallah, 
four  in  thirty-two,  thus  giving  him  more  of  the  blo»d  than 
his  sire,  though  he  was  a  grandson  of  Messenger. 

The  dam  of  Andrew  Jackson  was  bred  the  same  as 
Hambletonian,  being  three-quarters  Messenger,  so  that  if 
the  Bellfounder  mare  had  been  bred  to  him,  the  colt  would 
have  more  Messenger  blood  than  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
though  he  would  have  been  called  a  Bashaw.  To  carry 
the  illustration  further  :  Suppose  One  Eye  had  been  bred 
to  Andrew  Jackson,  the  progeny  would  have  been  half 
Messenger,  and  one-eighth  Bashaw,  thus  : 


PEDIGEEES.  305 


To  call  this  colt  a  Bashaw,  because  his  sire  was  in  lineal 
descent  from  the  Barb,  would  be  absurd,  and  from  the  fact 
that  Andrew  Jackson  had  one-eighth  more  Messenger 
than  Bashaw  blood,  his  progeny  should  be  accredited  to 
the  dominant  strain,  especially  when  we  see  it  further 
refreshed  by  another  current,  as  in  the  case  of  Jupiter. 
I  am  under  the  impression  that  there  have  been  more 


306  HORSE    PUKTBAITUKE. 

first-class  trotters  of  the  Messenger  blood  than  all  others 
put  together.  I  could  further  exemplify  it  by  numerous 
examples,  but  will  only  cite  one  more  instance,  as  tending 
to  show  the  good  effects  of  this  blood. 

Napoleon,  the  grandsire  of  Gen.  Butler,  descended  by 
both  sire  and  dam  from  Messenger,  and  was  a  great-grand- 
son on  either  side.  You  are  given  to  theorizing,  so  you 
can  weave  from  this  skein  of  facts  a  web  that  will  prove 
the  breeding  of  trotters,  as  easily  as  you  can  demonstrate 
that  the  hypothenuse  of  a  right-angled  triangle  is  equal  ^o 
the  sum  of  the  squares  of  the  other  two  sides. 

PUPIL. — I  am  very  glad  that  breeding  cannot  be  reduced 
to  a  geometrical  scale,  as  in  that  case  the  charm  of  uncer- 
tainty would  be  broken.  The  most  we  can  do  is  to  gain 
all  the  wisdom  we  can  from  the  experiences  of  the  past, 
and  by  a  course  of  experiments,  add  to  that  knowledge  as 
much  as  our  limited  capacity  will  permit.  I  am  very  glad 
that  you  have  forsaken  the  French  admixture  in  your 
composition  of  a  trotter,  and  hope  that  the  knee  action  of 
the  thoroughbred  can  be  improved,  by  judicious  crossing 
of  the  different  families  found  to  have  the  requisite  action, 
till  you  will  be  satisfied  that  in  this  point,  as  in  all  others, 
they  cannot  be  excelled.  I  have  been  wonderfully  pleased 
with  your  remarks  on  the  Messenger  family,  though  I  was 
not  prepared  to  learn  that  inbreeding  had  been  so  general. 
The  Falcon  has  three  distinct  crosses  of  the  blood,  through 
his  sire  Camden,  Shark,  Eclipse,  Miller's  Damsel,  Mes- 
senger. His  dam  was  by  Postboy,  whose  dam  was 
Garland,  Young  Damsel,  Miller's  Damsel,  Messenger.  His 
great-grandam  was  by  Bay  Bolton,  by  Ti]ypo  Saib,  Mes- 
senger. Young  Damsel  was  by  Hambletonian,  which  one 
I  do  not  know.  If  the  three-quarter  bred  Messenger  of 
that  name,  it  would  increase  the  proportion. 

These  three  crosses  in  the  Falcon  should  assuredly  be 
as  valuable,  from  the  balance  being  of  the  kind  that  Fanny 


CLAY     A  X  D     PATCHEK  307 

Kemble  said  "  alone  did  it  quite  well,"  as  if  there  were  a 
mixture  of  French  or  Bellfounder  blood  to  taint  it. 

Kysdyk's  Hanibletonian  has  been  the  most  successful  in 
nicking  with  the  blood  of  American  Star,  as  his  two  fastest 
sons  testify.  All  that  I  ever  heard  of  the  pedigrees  of 
American  Star  was,  that  he  was  by  Henry,  though  I  have 
seen  several  of  his  colts,  and  they  all  show  a  great  deal 
of  blood  in  their  appearance,  so  much  so,  that  I  think  he 
must  have  been  thoroughbred,  or  these  colts  from  very 
well-bred  mares.  Clipper  is  a  great-grandson  of  Messenger, 
his  dam  being  by  Whip,  Comet,  and  her  dam  by  Messenger. 
Pilot,  Jr.'s,  dam  was  a  great-grand-daughter  of  Sir  Archy. 
I  have  yet  to  see  the  first  instance  of  a  horse  being  a  successful 
getter  of  trotters  that  was  not  strongly  imbued  with  racing  Hood. 

If  diluted  till  the  proportion  of  cold  blood  is  greater 
than  the  pure,  the  animal  will  be  a  failure,  and  I  would 
under  no  consideration  breed  from  even  a  scion  of  the 
Messenger  stock,  that  was  impregnated  with  much  mongrel 
blood.  Had  the  inbreeding  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
been  on  the  Bellfounder  in  place  of  the  Messenger,  I  have 
no  doubt  that  he  would  have  been  as  pre-eminently  worth- 
less as  he  now  is  good.  Cassius  M.  Clay  takes  a  front 
rank  as  a  breeder,  and  if  his  renown  only  rested  on  the 
paternity  of  Geo.  M.  Patchen,  it  would  be  glory  enough, 
as  he  was,  without  doubt,  the  very  foremost  trotter  of  them 
all.  His  numerous  contests  with  Flora  Temple  were 
remarkable,  while  his  private  time  was  such  as  no  horse 
ever  exhibited,  and  gave  a  color  of  truth  to  the  report 
that  he  could  have  trotted  much  faster  in  public,  if  that 
had  suited  the  "  book  "  of  his  manager.  Cassius  M.  Clay 
was  by  Henry  Clay,  and  out  of  the  dam  of  John  Anderson. 
I  have  seen  an  advertisement  in  the  Old  Spirit,  that  John 
Anderson's  dam  was  imported  Yestris,  by  Charles  the  XII. 
Never  having  heard  before  of  this  highly  bred  imported 
mare  being  claimed  as  an  ancestress  for  Clay  or  Patcheu, 


308  HOUSE    POKTRAITUKE. 

I  only  offer  it  for  what  it  is  worth ;  if  true,  the  stock 
would  be  greatly  enhanced  in  my  estimation.  Patclien 
had  also  a  Trustee  cross  which,  without  doubt  helped  him, 
the  get  of  Trustee  having  proved  themselves  trotters  able 
to  go  both  fast  and  far. 

The  pedigree  of  Andrew  Jackson  shows  another  Mes- 
senger cross  which  jon  have  overlooked.  The  dam  of 
Young  Bashaw  was  by  Bond's  First  Consul,  his  grandam 
by  Messenger,  his  great-grandam  by  Rockinghain.  This 
would  add  one-sixteenth  more  Messenger  blood  to  Andrew 
Jackson,  making  seven-sixteenths  in  all.  No  wonder,  when 
he  was  so  near  thoroughbred  as  his  pedigree  shows,  that 
William  T.  Porter  wrote,  in  the  Turf  Register  of  1840,  that 
"with  the  exception  of  Andrew  Jackson,  for  whom  $5,000 
has  been  refused,  Abdallah  is  the  finest  limbed  and  most 
blood-like  trotting  stallion  we  ever  saw."  The  sire  of 
Young  Bashaw's  dam,  Bond's  First  Consul,  was  a  capital 
race  horse,  winning  twenty-one  races  and  upwards  of 
$10,000  in  purses  alone,  never  suffering  defeat  till  he  was 
eight  years  old.  This  great  progenitor  of  trotters  (Andrew 
Jackson),  having  nearly  all  racing  blood  in  his  veins,  helps 
to  establish  the  truth  of  my  theory,  that  the  thoroughbred 
is  the  only  one  to  depend  on  for  continuing  the  species. 
I  will  continue  Mr.  Porter's  remarks  about  Abdallah  : 
"He  was  got  by  the  celebrated  Mambrino  (the  son  of 
imported  Messenger)  out  of  Mr.  Treadwell's  equally  as 
celebrated  road  mare,  Amazonia,  who  for  ten  years,  or 
more,  had  no  superior  on  the  road.  Abdallah  is  a  beauti- 
ful bay  without  white,  fifteen  hands  three  inches  high. 
He  was  slightly  trained  at  fours  years  old,  and  was  consid- 
ered the  fastest  horse  on  Long  Island.  No  purses  being 
offered  at  that  time  for  trotting,  Mr.  T.  put  him  in  the 
breeding  stud,"  &c.  &c.  I  have  read  that  the  Amazonia 
was  a  well-bred  mare,  and  that  she  was  a  daughter  or 
grand-daughter  of  Messenger,  but  cannot  recall  where  I 


BLOOD     OF     MAMJBEIKO.  309 

saw  it.  So  we  will  have  to  be  contented  to  rest  on  her 
qualities  as  a  roadster.  The  breeding  of  his  sire  is  unques- 
tionable, though  I  have  heard  many  claim  that  he  was 
only  half-bred.  I  quote  from  the  Turf  Register  of  1840, 
"Pedigree  of  Mambrino:" 

"The  following  certificate  given  by  his  breeder,  Col  Lewis 
Morris,  leaves  no  doubt  of  the  purity  of  his  blood  : — 

'  I  certify  that  the  bay  colt  bred  by  me,  three  years  old 
the  16th  of  last  month,  was  got  by  old  Messenger,  his  dam 
by  Sourkrout,  grandam  by  Whirligig,  great-grandam  Miss 
Slamerkin,  by  Wildair,  out  of  the  imported  Cub  mare. 

'  Given  under  my  hand  at  Morrisania. 

'  June  19th,  1810.  LEWIS  MOKEIS.'" 

Mambrino,  then,  was  thoroughbred,  and  to  those  who 
would  argue  that  Abdallah  was  indebted  to  the  road  mare 
for  his  trotting  qualities,  I  would  say  that  Mambrino 
proved  his  capacity  to  entail  this  qualification  through 
other  branches  of  the  family,  as  the  many  descendants 
gracing  the  track  at  this  day  abundantly  prove. 

From  this  desultory  talk  you  may  imagine  that  the  web 
I  am  trying  to  weave  is  much  "  tattered  and  torn  "  before 
it  leaves  the  loom.  But  the  trouble  is  that,  amidst  the 
abundance  of  material  for  warp  and  woof,  the  time  is 
limited  to  construct  even  a  short  piece,  and  I  am  throwing 
the  shuttle  almost  at  random,  leaving  threads  of  different 
color  in  an  incongruous  mass  that  would  form  a  very 
handsome  pattern  if  care  and  time  were  taken  to  get  each 
one  in  the  right  mesh  of  the  hiddles. 

The  deductions  drawn  from  the  consideration  of  the 
pedigrees  and  performances  of  these  animals  and  their 
descendants  would  naturally  be,  that  in  the  Messenger 
strain  there  is  a  manifest  tendency  to  a  fast  trotting  gait, 
that  it  is  so  powerful  in  this  particular  that  it  overbalances 
contaminating  streams,  and  that  those  animals  having  the 
most  racing  blood  mixed  with  the  Messenger  have  been 

14 


310  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

the  most  successful  breeders  ;  and  I  hope  to  show  that  if 
the  same  care  had  been  taken  in  keeping  the  pedigrees  of 
trotters  pure  that  there  has  been  with  race  horses,  the 
proportion  of  fast  ones  would  have  been  materially  in- 
creased, with  much  more  symmetry  of  form,  and  greater 
powers  of  endurance.  I  also  expect  to  show  that  racing 
and  trotting  are  not  antagonistical  qualities,  but  that  the 
same  animal  which  is  so  conspicuous  as  the  progenitor  of 
trotters,  has  been  equally  famed  for  transmitting  racing 
qualities  to  his  descendants.  For  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment we  will  again  bring  on  to  the  witness-stand  the 
noted  mare  Ariel.  She  ran  fifty-seven  races,  winning 
forty-two  of  them — seventeen  at  four-mile  heats — traveling 
at  least  three  thousand  miles  in  her  peregrinations  from 
one  race  course  to  another,  nearly  every  mile  on  foot. 
She  raced  from  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  river,  on  the 
classic  courses  of  the  Old  Dominion,  to  the  flowering 
plains  of  Georgia,  and  inhaled  the  genial  air  wafted  from 
orange  groves  by  the  breeze  that  dimpled  the  gulf  at 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  beating  the  fleetest  short  stock  their 
favorite  distances,  and  outlasting  the  gamest  of  the  game 
in  the  trying  ordeal  of  four  heats  of  four  miles  each, 
Srunning  a  third  heat  in  7:57,  Trumpator  beating  her  only 
a  few  feet  when  she  won  the  fourth  in  8 :04.  This  was  on 
the  Newmarket  (Virginia)  Course,  where  the  best  time  for 
a  first  heat  was  Henry's — 7 :54 — proving  those  of  Ariel  the 
very  best  on  record.  In  imitation  of  your  example,  I  will 
give  her  pedigree  to  the  fifth  generation  to  show  the  man- 
ner of  her  inbreeding  to  Messenger  : — 


PEDIGREE     OF     ARIEL. 


311 


'Eclipse   •< 


Ariel 


dam.. 


fDuroc 

fDiomede 

Florizel 
dam  by  Spectator 

.Miller's  Damsel 
f  Financier  

I  Amanda 
f  Messenger 
l^dam  • 
flippo  Saib 

Grey  Diomede 

dam  by  Bedford 
Mambrino 

dam  by  Turf. 
Pot  8  os 

dam  by  Glmcrack 
Messenger 

dam  by  Northumberland 

v.  dam  .......... 

Messenger 

f  Baronet  

dam  by  Bashaw 
Vertumnus 

Empress           •  • 

dam  by  Snap 
Messenger 

l^dam  

dam  by  Snap 

The  Bashaw  in  this  pedigree  was  a  brother  to  Miss 
Slamerkin,  the  great-grandam  of  Mambrino.  It  will  be  need- 
less to  look  for  further  illustrations  of  the  racing  qualities 
of  Messenger's  stock — many  of  them  as  good  as  ever 
answered  the  bugle's  call  to  saddle  and  start.  Ariel  had 
five-sixteenths  of  the  blood,  a  thirty-second  part  more 
than  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  Those  two  inbred  animals 
being  respectively  on  the  topmost  round  of  fame,  are  apt 
illustrations  of  the  value  of  the  blood  for  both  gaits.  The 
bell  is  sounding  its  welcome  invitation  to  dinner  ;  after  we 
enjoy  that,  with  your  permission,  I  will  resume,  and  further 
show  the  plan  I  believe  the  best  for  breeding  trotters. 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 

DELIGHTS  OF  TOBACCO— FOUNDATION  OF  THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER 
ON  THE  BLOOD    HOUSE. 

PRECEPTOR. — We  will  walk  leisurely  to  the  stable  while 
smoking,  so  that  the  cigars  will  be  finished  by  the  time 
we  get  there.  Your  caution  in  not  permitting  any  one  to 
smoke  in  the  stable  is  proper,  and  whoever  would  take 
offence  at  being  requested  to  observe  this  rule  would  have 
very  little  sense.  The  dried  and  powdered  excrements  of 
horses  is  a  material  almost  as  tenacious  in  holding  fire, 
and  as  quick  to  ignite,  as  tinder.  A  stump  of  a  cigar  is 
thrown  aside;  it  falls  through  a  crack  in  the  floor  which 
has  been  the  receptacle  of  the  sweepings,  where  it  gives  no 
warning  till  it  breaks  out  fierce  and  overpowering.  Such 
a  disaster  as  that  which  occured  at  the  Eiverside  Park 
ought  to  admonish  all  when  approaching  stables,  never  to 
smoke  even  in  their  vicinity. 

As  soon  as  the  horses  have  eaten  their  feed,  we  will  send 
May  to  the  blacksmith,  to  whom  I  have  given  the  ne- 
cessary instructions  for  shoeing,  so  that  we  need  not  ac- 
company her.  Never  Mind  can  be  brushed,  the  bandages 
removed,  his  legs  hand-rubbed  lightly  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  his  bed  put  to  rights,  &c.  The  advantage  a  loose 
box  possesses  over  a  stall  would  be  of  service  in  this  case, 
as  I  would  much  prefer  that  he  should  not  be  disturbed, 
'excepting  to  take  a  short  walk  of  a  mile  or  so  when  the 
others  go  out.  But  as  Jane  has  to  be  walked  two  hours 


INJURY     BY     LYING     ON    THE     SHOE.    313 

and  Mavourneen  driven,  we  cannot  avoid  breaking  in  on 
his  privacy.  The  practice  of  going  into  a  stable  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  and  night  cannot  be  too  severely  rep- 
robated. Horses  engaged  in  fast  work  should  be  encour- 
aged to  lie  down  as  much  as  possible,  saving  both  their 
temper  and  legs— their  temper  by  not  being  irritated  by 
needless  disturbance,  and  their  legs  by  not  having  to 
sustain  the  weight  of  the  body  when  tired  or  the  muscles 
relaxed,  following  the  tension  of  hard  work.  The  loose 
box  not  only  permits  of  more  privacy,  but  a  horse  will  lie 
down,  when  not  restrained  with  a  halter,  that  otherwise 
would  stand. 

It  would  appear,  when  a  horse  is  lying  on  a  good  bed 
of  straw,  that  for  the  time  being  he  is  safe.  There  are 
horses,  however,  that  have  a  trick  of  injuring  themselves 
in  this  situation,  by  resting  the  elbow  on  the  shoe,  which 
often  results  in  serious  injury,  making  an  enlargement  that 
is  extremely  difficult  to  get  rid  of,  and  if  allowed  to  run 
for  a  length  of  time,  requiring  a  surgical  operation  to  cure. 
So  inveterate  is  the  habit  in  some  horses  that  it  cannot  be 
cured  in  any  way,  save  by  enveloping  the  foot  with  rags, 
or  having  a  soft  cushion  to  draw  over  the  hoof.  I  have 
seen  men  use  a  circle  of  metal  six  or  eight  inches  in 
diameter,  which  they  placed  around  the  pastern ;  this 
only  effected  the  transfer  of  the  injury  to  another  part. 
A  metal  projection  is  useful  when  a  horse  has  the  habit 
of  standing  with  one  foot  on  the  other,  and  I  have  known 
horses  to  do  this  until  the  coronet  has  been  injured  so 
much  as  to  cause  a  morbid  growth  of  horn,  to  the  great 
detriment  of  the  foot.  The  cushioning  should  be  put  on 
at  the  very  outset,  as,  after  the  swelling  occasioned  by  the 
pressure  has  got  to  a  suppurating  stage,  the  cushion  will 
irritate  it,  and  prevent  the  healing.  It  is  a  very  annoying 
habit,  and  the  cure  is  so  much  more  difficult  than  preven- 


314  HOBSE     POKTBAITUEE. 

tion,  that  I  always  watch  very  closely  to  see  if  any  of  the 
horses  are  likely  to  acquire  it. 

PUPIL. — Accident  discovered  to  me  a  manner  of  prevent- 
ing this  self-inflicted  injury,  after  I  had  puzzled  my  brain 
in  every  way  to  find  a  remedy.  I  had  a  large  five-year- 
old  stallion  that  persisted  in  lying  on  the  shoe,  in  spite  of 
all  my  efforts  to  prevent  him.  He  was  tied  in  a  stall,  so  I 
removed  him  to  a  loose  box,  plentifully  littered  with 
straw,  though  no  benefit  accrued  from  his  occupying  it. 
Every  movement  he  heard,  he  would  dart  to  the  window, 
and  paw  the  dirt  floor  into  deep  holes.  We  were  forced 
to  tie  him  up  during  the  day,  which  did  not  stop  his  paw- 
ing, so  that  he  had  a  depression  in  front  of  him  of  at  least 
a  foot  deeper  than  were  he  stood.  One  day  I  saw  him  ly- 
ing down  with  his  feet  in  the  hole,  and  I  was  struck  at 
once  with  the  favorable  position.  His  halter  was  tied 
so  that  he  could  not  get  back  on  the  comparatively 
level  surface  sufficiently  far  to  bend  his  legs  under  him, 
and  he  was  forced  to  remain  with  his  feet  in  the  hole.  I 
immediately  dug  out  his  old  stall  in  the  same  manner, 
tied  him  so  that  he  could  not  go  back  further  than  I 
desired,  and  had  the  gratification  to  find  the  removal 
of  the  swelling — which  was  as  large  as  the  clenched  fist — 
take  place.  In  a  short  time,  he  was  well.  I  kept  the  stall 
as  it  was  for  some  time  after  he  was  completely  cured,  and 
when  once  more  placed  on  a  level  surface,  he  had  con- 
tracted the  habit  of  lying  in  a  position  that  did  not  injure 
the  elbow,  and  I  never  had  any  trouble  with  him  from  that 
cause  afterwards. 

PEECEPTOE. — Fortune  has  often  been  the  means  of  dis- 
coveries that  had  eluded  the  penetration  of  those  who 
were  renowned  for  foresight,  and  the  most  wonderful 
efforts  of  genius  have  fallen  short  of  the  benefits  derived 
from  some  stroke  of  good  luck.  The  swinging  of  a 
chandelier  in  a  cathedral,  the  fall  of  an  apple,  the  laziness 


ENJOYMENTS     OF     SMOKING.  315 

of  a  boy  whose  duty  it  was  to  monotonously  pull  a  valve 
for  the  admission  of  steam,  are  illustrations.  The  meas- 
urement of  time,  the  laws  of  gravitation,  and  the  useful- 
ness of  that  power  which  has  done  so  much  for  the  wel- 
fare and  civilization  of  mankind  are  due  to  this,  and  to  the 
observation  that  saw  their  enects,  and  made  them  avail- 
able for  practical  uses.  You  deserve  commendation  for 
seeing  the  benefit  that  fortune  had  put  in  your  way,  and 
though  it  is  laughable  to  compare  this  discovery  with  the 
grand  results  above  mentioned,  still,  little  things  are  of 
importance,  and  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  teaching 
me  a  way  to  cure  a  habit  that  has  often  given  me  much 
uneasiness.  I  cannot  see  why  it  would  not  result  as  favor- 
ably in  other  cases  as  in  the  one  you  mention,  and  I  can- 
not perceive  any  bad  results  that  would  be  likely  to  arise. 
The  horse  when  standing  would  be  on  the  level,  and  it 
would  only  prevent  him  from  getting  his  head  in  an  easy 
position  for  repose.  I  should  certainly  prefer  this  evil  to 
a  capped  and  ulcerated  elbow,  which  would  effectually 
hinder  him  from  going  fast.  Favor  me  with  another  cigar, 
and  we  will  take  our  seat  under  that  spreading,  thick- 
leaved  oak,  when  you  can  continue  your  disquisitions  on 
breeding.  There  is  danger  of  these  cigars  tempting  me 
into  an  immoderate  use  of  them,  and  although  at  the  time 
I  considered  your  description  of  the  enjoyments  of  smok- 
ing in  the  woods  as  a  raphsody,  it  seems  now  none  too 
highly  colored,  and  I  can  realize  the  feelings  you  por- 
trayed. 

PUFIL. — I  might,  like  the  Irishman  recommending  the 
mountain  dew,  urge  that  there  is  not  a  headache  in  a  hogs- 
head of  such  tobacco.  I  can  assuredly  warrant  that  there 
is  not  a  deleterious  article  in  the  manufacture.  When 

P says  cigars  are  imported,,  you  can  safely  wager 

they  are  from  the  isle  that  can  alone  grow  the  benign 
weed  in  full  perfection.  If  you  thought  I  rhapsodized  in 


316  HOESE    PORTRAITURE. 

describing  the  forest  smoke,  what  will  you  think  of  the 
following  lines  by  the  "Gentle  Elia: " 

"  Scent  to  match  tliy  rich  perfume 
Chemic  art  did  ne'er  presume ; 
Through  her  quaint  alembic  strain, 
None  so  sovereign  to  the  brain ; 
Nature,  that  did  in.thee  excel, 
Framed  again  no  second  smell ; 
Roses,  violets,  but  toys 
For  the  smaller  sort  of  boys, 
Or  of  greener  damsels  meant ; — 
Thou  art  the  only  manly  scent." 

PRECEPTOR. — It  strikes  me  you  have  broken  off  rather 
abruptly  in  your  quotation.  Do  not  the  subsequent  lines 
read  something  like  this: 

"  Stinking'st  of  the  stinking  kind, 
Filth  of  the  mouth,  and  fog  of  the  mind ; 
Africa,  that  brags  her  foison, 
Breeds  no  such  prodigious  poison  ; 
Henbane,  nightshade,  both  together, 
Hemlock,  aconite." 

PUPIL. — Certainly,  though  he  gives  his  reasons  for  rail- 
ing; and  how  fondly  he  returns  to  his  first  love: 

"  And  a  seat,  too,  'mongst  the  joys 
Of  the  blessed  tobacco  boys ; 
Where,  though  I,  by  sour  physician, 
Am  debarred  the  full  fruition 
Of  thy  favors,  I  may  catch 
Some  collateral  sweets,  and  snatch 
Sidelong  odors,  that  give  life 
Like  glances  from  a  neighbor's  wife  ; 
And  still  live-in  the  by-places 
And  the  surburbs  of  thy  graces, 
And  in  thy  borders  take  delight, 
An  unconquered  Canaanite." 


CHAELES     LAMB.  317 

Where  would  lie  have  found  words  to  express  his  devo- 
tion, if  he  had  been  favored  with  Killikinick,  in  place  of 
the  harsh  old  "  cut  and  dried,"  or  had  a  hundred  or  two 
of  these  Principes  to  awaken  reveries.  Even  then  he 
could  not  have  surpassed  his  "Dream  Children,"  one  of 
the  most  exquisite  creations  of  the  fancy  I  am  acquainted 
with.  I  can  hardly  bring  my  thoughts  back  from  wander- 
ing after  shadowy  forms,  that  melt  away  like  a  vision,  to 
the  consideration  of  pedigrees  and  trotters.  Yet  Lamb, 
lame  and  weakly  as  he  was,  appreciated  the  delights  a 
gallant  steed  could  give.  Listen  to  the  description  of 
their  uncle  to  the  Dream  Children  : — "  Then,  in  a  some- 
what more  heightened  tone,  I  told  how,  though  their 
great-grandmother  Field  loved  all  her  grandchildren, 
yet,  in  an  especial  manner,  she  might  be  said  to  love  their 

uncle  Jno.  L ,  because  he  was  so  handsome  and 

spirited  a  youth,  and  a  king  to  the  rest  of  us,  and,  instead 
of  moping  in  solitary  corners  like  some  of  us,  he  would 
mount  the  most  mettlesome  steed  he  could  get,  when  but 
an  imp  no  bigger  than  themselves,  and  make  it  carry  him 
over  half  the  county  in  a  morning,  and  join  the  hunters 
when  they  were  out;  and  yet  he  loved  the  old  great  house 
and  gardens,  too,  but  had  too  much  spirit  always  to  be 
pent  up  within  their  boundaries;  and  how  their  uncle 
grew  up  to  man's  estate  as  brave  as  he  was  handsome,  to 
the  admiration  of  everybody,  but  of  their  great-grand- 
mother Field  especially;  and  how  he  used  to  carry  me  on 
his  back  when  I  was  a  lame-footed  boy — for  he  was  a  good 
deal  older  than  me — many  a  mile,  when  I  could  not  walk 
for  pain." 

I  did  not  find  this  in  the  Turf  Register  which  I  have 
brought  along,  but  I  could  repeat  the  whole  of  that  essay, 
as  I  have  read  it  over  and  over,  and  always  found  some- 
thing new  to  admire  in  it.  I  can  see  John  L bound- 
ing over  hill  and  dale  on  the  spirited  hunter,  thereby 


318  HOUSE    POBTKAITURE. 

gaining  strength  to  carry  the  poor  lame-footed  boy  when 
weary.  A  true,  unselfish  love  for  the  horse  is  always  ac- 
companied by  strong  feelings  for  those  bound  to  us  by  the 
ties  of  kindred,  more  especially  when  they  are  unable,  from 
bodily  weakness,  to  join  in  that  which  gives  so  much  de- 
light. As  a  prelude  to  the  topic  under  consideration,  I 
will  read  from  the  Turf  Register  of  1829  a  pedigree  of 
Messenger,  and  also  refer  to  it  for  proof  that  the  American 
trotter  had  his  foundation  on  the  blood  horse : — 

"  Messenger  was  got  by  Mambrino,  his  dam.  by  Turf,  gran- 
dam  by  Regulus,  out  of  a  sister  to  Figurante,  by  Starling, 
out  of  Snap's  dam.  He  covered  in  the  Middle  States,  and 
his  colts  are  the  handsomest  and  finest  horses  for  all  uses 
of  any  stallion  ever  imported  into  this  country;  but,  owing 
to  the  prohibiting  of  racing  in  Pennsylvania  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature,  his  stock  has  not  such  a  chance  of 
distinguishing  themselves  on  the  turf.  For  the  saddle, 
draught,  etc.,  they  are  unequaled." 

According  to  Mr.  Van  Ranst — his  part  owner — he  was 
foaled  in  1780 — commencing  his  career  on  the  turf  in  1783 
where  he  was  quite  successful.  His  first  seasons  were 
made  in  Pennsylvania,  and  perhaps  it  was  as  well  that  a 
bigoted  House  of  Representatives  should  have  clogged  the 
enterprise  of  breeding  good  horses,  as  thereby  his  stock 
had  the  opportunity  of  signalizing  themselves  on  the  road 
in  place  of  the  turf.  On  his  removal  to  New  York,  the  re- 
striction was  partly  done  away  with,,  and  he  there  had  the 
benefit  of  a  few  blood  mares  to  perpetuate  the  qualities 
that  otherwise  would  have  been  lost.  For  proof  of  this,  look 
at  the  number  of  successful  sires  that  have  sprung  from 
his  location  in  New  York,  while  I  have  no  knowledge  of 
any  of  his  get  in  Pennsylvania  that  are  distinguished  in 
that  respect.  His  offspring  there  were  at  the  top  of  the 
tree,  as  far  as  performances  went,  but  they  had  not  blood 
enough  to  give  their  descendants  the  same  qualifications. 


MESSENGEE'S   LOCATION   POSTULATE.    319 

Mambrino,  Potomac,  Eclipse,  Lance,  Hambletonian,  Tippo 
Saib,  Tippo  Sultan,  Postboy,  etc.,  all  give  him  such  a 
luster,  that  he  could  afford  to  loan  to  other  families  a  sur- 
plus, as  you  have  exemplified  in  the  case  of  the  Bashaws, 
and  still  be  accredited  as  the  greatest  progenitor  of 
trotters. 

Before  dinner  I  could  not  remember  the  pedigree  of 
young  Damsel,  the  grandam  of  Postboy.  I  distincly  re- 
call it  to  mind  now,  and  wonder  that  I  could  have  been  so 
forgetful.  She  was  by  Hambletonian,  the  son  of  Messen- 
ger, and  had,  therefore,  the  same  amount  of  Messenger 
blood  as  One  Eye,  the  grandam  of  Bysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian. Messenger's  location  in  the  section,  that  was  to  be 
the  recognized  headquarters  of  trotting  sport,  was  fortunate 
for  the  establishment  of  a  sport,  which  has  made  the 
American  roadster  superior  to  those  of  all  other  countries; 
and  also  fortunate  in  developing  his  stock  as  the  best  for 
that  purpose.  Suppose  his  location  had  been  in  Virginia, 
Carolina,  Tennessee,  or  Kentucky.  The  success  of  his 
colts  on  the  turf  would  have  been  beyond  the  wonderful 
performances  the  record  now  gives  his  descendants.  He 
would  have  got  fifty  thoroughbred  mares  where  he  had  one 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  owners  of  those  colts  would  have 
felt  insulted  at  a  request  to  make  trotters  of  them,  and 
the  very  men  who  have  assisted  in  developing  the  fast 
trotting  gait  of  hundreds  of  Messengers,  would  have 
laughed  at  the  idea  of  making  trotters  of  Messenger's 
colts.  Hence,  1  say,  it  has  been  fortunate,  alike  for  horse 
and  trotting  sport,  that  his  location  was  in  New  York. 
His  blood  was  disseminated  over  the  whole  eastern  coun- 
try, from  Maine  to  Lake  Erie;  and  not  only  his,  but  many 
high-bred  scions  of  other  families,  went  from  the  Long 
Island  turf  to  enrich  those  places  with  a  valuable  stock  of 
road  horses. 

When  I  have  been  arguing  with  men  on  the  necessity 


320  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

of  blood  in  trotters,  I  have  been  met  with,  what  they  con- 
sidered convincing  proof,  that  until  late  years  there  never 
was  a  thoroughbred  horse  in  the  New  England  States. 
They  would  ridicule  the  idea  that  there  ever  were  any 
"running  races"  in  Boston,  unless  of  the  scrub  kind,  and, 
when  proven,  would  only  admit  a  fact  they  could  not 
longer  dispute,  but  qualify  it  with  the  assertion  that  the 
horses  that  ran  in  them  were  carried  there,  and  011  the 
conclusion  of  the  races  taken  back.  Tell  them  that 
Admiral  Coffin  imported  Barefoot  to  Boston,  or  that  men 
purchased  blood  horses  for  stud  purposes,  taking  them  to 
their  homes  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec,  or  among  the 
green  hills  that  bordered  Lake  Champlain  on  the  east, 
and  they  would  be  moved  to  laughter  so  boisterous  that 
they  would  almost  be  in  the  state  of  Dr.  Holmes'  patient, 
who  frightened  him  from  afterwards  writing  anything  "  as 
funny  as  he  could. "  Mr.  Van  Eanst  sold  Defiance,  by 
"Florizel,  to  go  to  Northern  N.  Y. ;  Cock  of  the  Rock,  by 
Duroc,  out  of  Romp,  by  Messenger,  to  General  Barnum, 
t»f  Vermont;  Dinwiddie,  by  Diomede,  dam  by  Wildair,  to 
ft  company  at  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  Selah,  by  Bussorah  Arabian, 
4am  by  Messenger,  to  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.;  Callender, 
My  Eclipse,  his  dam  by  Sir  Archy,  to  Washington  County, 
N.  Y.;  Liberty,  by  Dinwiddie,  dam  Miller's  Maid,  by 
Duroc,  grandam  Miller's  Damsel,  by  Messenger,  to  Bran- 
don, Vermont.  At  that  day,  1825,  the  blood  horse  was 
recognized  to  be  the  one  to  breed  from,  though  twenty-five 
years  later  they  were  carried  away  by  false  lights  after  the 
splattering  little  Morgans,  and  part-bred  Canucks,  which, 
by  an  infusion  of  racing  blood,  were  redeemed  from  utter 
worthlessness;  yet  if  you  show  me  a  region  where  a  trot- 
ter, worthy  of  the  name,  has  been  bred,  I  will  undertake 
to  prove  that,  at  no  distant  day,  the  blood  horse  was  there 
and  prepared  the  way.  There  are  exceptions,  as  in  e very- 
tiling  else,  though  I  am  acquainted  with  but  one  of  any 


TKOTTEES     OF     THE     OLDEN     TIME.        821 

weight — St.  Lawrence.  I  will  read  from  the  same  volume 
of  the  Turf  Register  an  account  of  the  horses  at  the  Hunt- 
ing Park  Course,  at  Philadelphia,  where  many  a  hard  con- 
test for  fame  was  made  by  the  trotters  of  the  olden  time, 
and  a  correspondent  of  the  English  Sporting  Magazine  sent 
this  account  of  the  notabilities  of  that  day,  appended  to 
reports  of  the  trotting  thereon : — 

"Top  GALLANT,  by  Hambletonian,  trotted  in  harness 
twelve  miles  in  thirty-eight  minutes,  and  three  miles, 
saddle,  in  eight  minutes  thirty-one  seconds.  He  is  now 
nineteen  years  old,  and  can  trot  his  mile  with  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  in  2 :45. 

"BETSEY  BAKER,  by  Mambrino,  beat  Top  Gallant,  saddle, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  in  8:16,  and  when  sound, 
could  do  her  twenty  miles  within  the  hour. 

"TROUBLE,  by  Hambletonian — good  bottom — did  two 
miles  in  harnes  in  5:25. 

"SCREWDRIVER;  dam  Bull,  by  Mound  Holly,  beat  Betsey 
Baker  the  last  heat  by  a  neck.  Time,  first  heat,  8 :02  ; 
second,  8:10. 

"  SIR  PETER,  by  Hambletonian,  in  1828,  three  miles  in 
harness  in  8:16. 

"WHALEBONE,  by  Hambletonian,  three  miles  in  harness 
in  8:18.  These  two,  Sir  Peter  and  Whalebone,  can  be 
matched  either  against  Rattler  or  Tom  Thumb,  now  in 
England,  for  any  amount.  Rattler  is  from  an  English  im- 
ported horse  out  of  a  Canadian  mare,  and  Tom  Thumb  is 
a  Naragansett,  an  excellent  breed  of  trotters,  but  their  or- 
igin is  unknown. 

"  SHAKSPEARE,  by  Hambletonian,  three  miles,  saddle,  in 
8:16." 

A  pretty  good  "show"  of  trotters  for  A.  D.,  1829. 
Three  miles  in  8 :02,  I  think,  is  equiralent  to  7 :35  now-a- 
days.  One  more  quotation  from  the  Turf  Register  of  1833 : 
''Paul  Pry. — This  fine  trotter,  whose  performance  of 


322  HOESE    PORTRAITURE. 

eighteen  miles  under  fifty-nine  minutes  we  recorded  last 
week,  is  an  exceedingly  well-bred  horse.  He  was  got  by 
Mount  Holly,  out  of  a  Hambletonian,  bred  by  Gen.  Coles. 
His  grandsire  was  old  Massenger.  Paul  Pry  is  now  nine 
years  old,  bred  on  Long  Island,  and  previous  to  his  great 
trotting  was  only  in  training  five  weeks.  Those  who  bet 
against  each  quarter,  from  sixteen  and  a  quarter  miles, 
placed  judges  at  each  of  them  to  see  in  which  he  would 
tire  out,  but  the  fresh  condition  in  which  the  horse  complet- 
ed a  quarter  of  a  mile  more  than  was  needed,  saved  these 
gentlemen  the  trouble  of  their  office.  Hiram  Woodruff, 
the  boy  who  rode  him,  deserved  much  praise.  His  seat 
was  beautiful,  and  his  judgment  excellent.  He  was  dressed 
in  a  new  suit  in  the  true  jockey  style,  and  the  whole  affair 
gave  great  satisfaction,  and  proved  Paul  Pry  to  be  a  horse 
of  first-rate  bottom.  We  heartily  congratulate  his  owner 
on  the  possession  of  so  fine  an  animal." 

Illustrations  showing  that  the  older  trotters  were  gener- 
ally of  good  blood,  could  be  multiplied  till  the  consideration 
would  be  tiresome.  Those  of  the  present  day  show  the 
same  characteristics,  or  a  preponderance  of  Messenger 
blood  from  inbreeding  overcoming  that  of  the  inferior 
animals  in  their  generalogy.  With  a  few  instances  of  our 
time  I  will  close.  The  horse,  Abdallah,  which  the  guerillas 
captured  of  Mr.  Alexander,  was  the  sire  of  the  famous 
mare  belonging  to  Mr.  Goldsmith.  He  was  by  Bysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  his  dam  by  Bay  Koman,  by  Membrino,  by 
Mambrino,  his  grandam  by  Membrino.  The  sire  of  Squire 
Bingham — Major  Windfield — is  by  Kysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian, dam  by  imported  Margrave,  grandam  by  Trumpator. 
Open  a  paper  that  contains  the  advertisements  of  the 
trotting  stallions  for  this  year,  and  the  most  successful  in 
propagating  fast  animals  will  be  those  having  the  best 
blood.  Probably  the  largest  sum  ever  paid  for  a  trotting 
yearling  was  the  amount  it  took  to  purchase  the  Hambleton- 


MESSEHGEE     AKD     SIE     AECHY.          323 

ian,  bred  by  Mr.  Backman — understood  to  be  five  thou- 
sand dollars — his  dam  by  Wai  deck's  Messenger,  by  Wildair, 
out  of  a  Messenger  Mare,  and  his  grandam  by  Mambrino. 
Considering  these  cases — that  are  taken  from  the  records 
without  exercising  much  care  in  the  selection,  but  copied 
as  I  came  to  them — your  ground  that  there  have  been  more 
trotters  of  the  Messenger  strain  than  all  others  put  to- 
gether is  incontrovertible. 

Messenger  stood  for  nearly  twenty  years  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  New  York,  and  from  his  popularity  and  low 
price  of  service — eight  dollars  to  insure — had  all  the  busi- 
ness he  could  do.  People  were  so  well  satisfied  with  the 
value  of  his  blood,  that  they  sought  so  obtain  as  much  of 
it  as  they  could,  even  resorting  to  incestuous  crosses  to 
further  this  end.  The  fine  road  horses  of  the  first  gen- 
eration were  succeeded  by  the  fast  trotters  of  the  second 
and  third,  and  the  numerous  progeny  in  that  section  were 
the  best  they  had  for  the  turf,  road,  and  track.  The  only 
parallel  case  in  breeding  with  which  I  am  acquainted  is  that 
of  Sir  Archy.  The  great  age  to  which  he  lived — the  same 
as  Messenger,  28  years — and  the  value  of  his  stock,  brought 
him  so  much  patronage  that  in  all  probability  there  never 
was  a  living  horse  with  so  numerous  a  family.  Close 
inbreeding  produced  no  ill  effects  that  I  could  ever  discover. 
Some  of  the  fastest  of  their  day  were  double  Archys.  George 
Martin,  by  a  son,  his  dam  a  daughter,  conquered  those 
hitherto  deemed  invincible,  and  placed  himself  among  the 
very  first  for  speed  and  bottom.  Fashion's  dam,  the  re- 
nowned Bonnets  o'  Blue,  was  bred  in  the  same  way.  To 
enumerate  Sir  Archy's  victorious  descendants,  and  write 
their  names,  would  appear  like  the  index  of  the  American 
Stud  Book,  as  there  has  hardly  been  a  good,  or  a  very 
good,  race  horse  on  the  American  turf  not  related  to  him, 
generally  in  direct  descent.  It  is  not  improbable  that,  if 
Sir  Archy  had  occupied  Messenger's  place,  he  would  have 


324  HOESE    PORTRAITURE. 

been  the  Highflyer  of  the  trotting  turf,  as  he  now  is  of  the 
running.  Premising  that  Bysdyk's  Hambletonian  is  now 
the  most  successful  modern  sire  of  trotters,  and  that  his 
fastest  sons  have  been  the  result  of  crossing  with  well-bred 
mares,  as  instanced  by  the  Stars  and  others  showing  good 
breeding,  I  would  select  the  very  best  bred  mares  I  could 
find  with  Messenger,  Trustee,  and  Sir  Archy  blood,  to 
breed  to  him.  But  as  the  present  price  of  his  services  is 
beyond  the  reach  of  those  who  breed  to  make  money,  I 
would  breed  to  the  son  or  grandson  that  had  the  most 
blood  and  the  best  form. 

Now  I  will  probably  startle  you,  and  others  will  look 
still  wilder  at  what  they  will  consider  the  gross  heresies  of 
my  belief.  They  must  grant  me  the  merit  of  sincerity,  as 
I  have  no  ulterior  object  in  view,  and  am  led  to  promulgate, 
what  I  consider  the  best  system  of  breeding,  from  no 
interested  motives  whatever.  Forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  in 
England,  to  have  averred  that  the  thorougbred  would  make 
the  best  hunter  to  carry  weight  would  have  subjected  the 
proposer  to  as  much  sarcasm  as  awaits  the  advocate  of 
the  blood  horse  for  fast  trotting,  among  a  certain  set  at  the 
present  day.  While  it  is  admitted  that  the  theory  has 
been  proved  correct,  regarding  the  horse  to  go  across  the 
country,  the  set  that  I  speak  of  can  see  no  analogy  be- 
tween that  and  fast  trotting.  Essays  were  written  at  that 
time  to  prove  that  the  configuration  of  the  blood  horse 
was  totally  opposed  to  leaping;  that  the  low,  daisy-cutting 
stride  would  break  the  rider's  neck  on  rough  ground, 
while  the  intervention  of  ditches,  hedges,  and  high  timber 
fences  would  as  effectually  stop  him,  as  if  anchored  with 
the  best  bower  of  a  seventy-four.  The  arguments  were 
reiterated,  while  the  horse  himself  was  improving  by 
further  admixtures  of  blood,  till  the  very  best  hunters  in 
the  kingdom  had  as  fine  pedigrees  as  the  Derby  or  St. 
Leger  winners ;  and  in  the  face  of  this,  there  were  still 


A   FARMER'S    STUD    OF   TROTTERS.     325 

those  who  could  not  believe  anything  different  from  what 
their  grandfathers  believed,  and  would  not  acknowledge 
defeat.  The  improvement  in  the  stamina  and  pace  of  the 
hounds  necessitated  the  -change,  as  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  the  best  hunters  of  "fifty  years  since"  to 
have  kept  in  sight  of  a  pack  of  the  modern  flyers  for 
twenty  minutes. 

With  the  teachings  of  the  past  before  us,  would  not 
Messenger  be  as  likely  to  get  fast  trotters  as  his  renowned 
inbred  great-grandson  ?  Would  not  Mambrino  ?  Who  would 
not  be  better  pleased  if  the  Chas.  Kent  mare  had  been  by 
Trustee,  instead  of  Bellfounder  ?  Has  Hambletonian  gained 
from  that  blood  any  advantages  that  are  superior  to  the 
thoroughbred  crosses,  of  which  he  has  so  many  ?  I  think 
no  well-informed  horseman  will  claim  that  he  has.  Who 
would  not  prefer  Ariel  for  a  brood  mare  to  breed  trotters 
from,  to  one  with  the  same  amount  of  Messenger,  but 
French,  Bellfounder  and  Morgan  in  the  place  of  the  purer 
streams  ?  The  wealthy  gentleman  in  Orange  County,  whose 
stud  of  trotters  is  probably  superior  to  any  other  in  extent, 
who  has  spared  no  expense  in  everything  connected  with 
it  to  make  it  the  best  in  the  world,  who  has  been  so  lavish 
in  his  expenditures  that  his  farm  is  a  model  in  everything 
appertaining  to  breeding,  merits  the  sincere  well-wishes  of 
all  who  are  interested  in  the  development  of  the  American 
roadster.  From  an  account  I  read  lately,  he  has  twenty- 
six  brood  mares,  a  majority  of  them  being  by  American 
Star,  the  others,  Long  Island ;  Black  Hawk,  Bellfounder, 
General  Gifford,  Vermont  Hambletonian,  Canadian,  Harry 
Clay,  and  one  by  Old  Abdallah,  with  a  colt  by  Hamble- 
tonian. The  author  of  this  account  saw  an  inbred  Bell- 
founder  mare,  displaying  the  historical  characteristics  of 
that  breed,  which  he  appears  not  to  value  very  highly. 
All  these  mares  had  been  bred  to  Bysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
making  a  bill  of  thirteen  thousand  dollars  for  the  horse's 


326  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

services  alone.  I  anxiously  trust  he  will  be  remunerated 
for  the  enterprise,  but  it  strikes  me  that  it  must  have  been 
hard  to  find  that  number  of  mares,  which  from  breeding 
and  form,  could  all  be  advantageously  bred  to  the  same 
horse.  Had  he  selected  those  of  the  finest  blood  to  breed 
to  Hambletonian,  and  put  the  others  to  a  thorougbred  that 
had  form,  size  and  a  good  trotting  step,  I  think  the  pro- 
geny would  have  been  better.  Planet  is  said  to  show 
nearly  a  three-minute  gait  when  allowed  to  trot  in  his 
exercise.  A  colt  front  imported  Bonnie  Scotland,  three 
years  old — and  I  presume  the  only  one  of  his  get  that  has 
been  trained  to  that  gait — trotted  very  fast  last  season. 
He  was  in  a  colt  stake  at  Chicago,  but  was  taken  with  the 
distemper,  and  had  to  be  laid  by.  The  stake  was  won  by 
a  three-year-old,  the  get  of  the  Falcon,  distancing  in  three 
minutes  her  only  competitor.  She  is  sixteen  hands  and 
an  inch  high,  and  had  only  been  harnessed  a  few  times 
before  the  trot.  Another  of  the  Falcon's  get,  a  four-year- 
old,  won  the  stake  for  that  age,  distancing  a  granddaughter 
of  Eysdyk's  Hambletonian  the  third  heat  in  2 :47  ;  the 
track  very  heavy.  I  saw  the  four-year-old  trofc  in  thirty- 
six  early  in  the  season,  and  had  he  been  in  hands  that 
knew  how  to  train  him  judiciously,  I  think  he  would  have 
been  at  the  head  of  the  list  as  a  four-year-old  trotter. 

Now  for  my  heterodox  notions.  I  would  prefer  to  breed 
from  Planet  or  Bonnie  Scotland,  having  thoroughbred 
mares  of  proper  form,  size,  and  step,  with  as  much  Mes- 
senger and  Trustee  blood  as  I  could  get,  than  from  even 
the  famed  Hambletonian.  I  do  not  want  to  take  away 
one  iota  of  the  well-merited  fame  of  Mr.  Rysdyk's  horse, 
and  had  I  a  breeding  establishment  where  I  could  send  a 
mare  or  two  of  pure  blood  to  him,  and  was  rich  enough 
to  afford  the  outlay,  I  should  certainly  do  so  in  order  to 
get  the  Messenger  blood,  of  which  he  has  as  much  as  any 
living  horse,  and  probably  more.  I  should  hope  that  the 


THEORY     OF     BREEDING.  327 

produce  would  be  a  filly  to  breed  to  the  thoroughbred  that 
would  suit  me,  as  I  think  when  there  is  a  difference,  the 
male  parent  ought  to  be  the  one  without  the  flaw.  But  I 
would  be  afraid  of  that  coarse  Bellfounder  cross,  trusting 
however,  that  it  would  never  make  its  appearance.  I  think 
when  the  produce  of  that  inbred  Bellfounder  mare  and 
Hambletonian  is  old  enough  to  show  for  itself,  these  ideas 
will  be  verified.  It  may  be  thought  invidious  to  say  any- 
thing against  the  system  pursued  in  Orange  County,  which 
has  resulted  in  producing  so  many  good  animals,  but  "ex- 
celsior" must  be  the  breeder's  motto,  and  to  get  still  higher, 
depend  upon  it,  racing  blood  will  only  do.  You  are  un- 
doubtedly enough  bored,  for  the  present,  with  my  breed- 
ing speculations.  With  the  breeding-farm  and  the  sub- 
sequent conversations,  I  have  pretty  well  exhibited  my 
partialities.  Should  any  one  differ  with  me  in  my  con- 
clusions, the  study  of  trotting  pedigrees — some  of  them 
mixed  up  consumedly — will  do  them  no  injury.  If  racing 
had  been  carried  on  without  any  more  attention  to  horse 
heraldry  than  trotting  has,  the  breeding  of  race  horses 
would  have  been  ten  times  the  lottery  it  now  is.  May  we 
not  hope  that  from  a  like  attention  being  paid  to  the 
trotting  families,  the  chances  of  breeding  fast  ones  will 
be  very  much  increased,  and  a  genealogical  tree,  free  from 
stains,  be  considered  as  essential  to  the  harness  as  the 
racing  stallion  ? 

PRECEPTOR. — I  will  neither  assent  nor  dissent  at  present 
from  the  inferences  you  have  drawn.  The  trotter,  of 
course,  has  to  be  bred  before  he  can  be  trained,  and  there 
is  not  much  danger  that  our  talk  on  the  subject  will  be  a 
waste  o  time.  It  is  a  subject  of  interest  to  those  who 
buy,  as  well  as  those  who  breed  trotters.  The  day  has 
gone  by  when  the  remark  was  thought  smart,  "I  do  not 

care  a for  his  pedigree;    let  me  see  him  move,"  and 

those  consequential  gentlemen  who  could  tell  at  a  glance 


328  HOUSE     POETBAITTJRE. 

just  what  a  horse  could  do,  do  not  find  so  many  dupes 
as  formerly.  Your  driving  will  now  fully  occupy  the 
time  you  have  to  spare.  Loan  me  the  book  while  you 
are  engaged,  as  I  believe  I  have  no  particular  instruc- 
tions to  give  regarding  the  management  of  those  to  be 
worked.  I  may  go  away  before  you  are  through.  You 
have  the  directions  what  to  do  with  Never  Mind.  The  rest 
need  no  change. 


CHAPTEK    XXIII. 

JEALOUSY   OF   TRAINERS — AFTER    THE  SWEAT — RULES    TO    BE    OB- 
SERVED — DIRECTIONS  HOW  TO  PROCEED  WITH  THE   HORSES. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  look  a  little  wearied  this  morning.  I 
hope  the  pedigrees  did  not  keep  you  from  sleeping;  I 
thought  you  got  pretty  well  rid  of  them,  and  had  left  none 
to  be  a  burden  to  you. 

PUPIL. — Nevertheless  they  did  worry  me.  When  I  went 
to  bed  thinking  of  the  conversation  we  held,  it  appeared 
as  though  better  illustrations  came  to  my  mind  than  any 
I  had  offered;  and  when  I  fell  asleep,  the  subject  that 
engrossed  my  waking  hours  got  a  still  firmer  hold  of  my 
mind,  now  untrammeled  by  the  corporeal  frame.  Pedigrees 
of  men  and  horses  were  mixed  up  in  tangled  confusion,  and 
centaurs  performed  around  me  in  mazy  elvolutions,  bewil- 
dering me  with  their  strange  actions,  and  still  stranger 
speeches.  One  heavy-made,  lumbering,  Dutch-looking 
horse,  with  a  keen  human  head,  every  line  of  which  be- 
tokened cunning,  reproached  me  for  leaving  him  out,  and, 
pointing  triumphantly  to  an  advertisement  in  the  old 
Spirit,  screeched  in  my  ear,  "You  called  us  splattering 
Morgans :  look  at  that  and  you  will  find  that  we  are  the 
true  descendants  of  the  children  of  fire,  purer  far  than 
those  graceful,  sleek-coated,  fragile-looking  things,  you  have 
held  up  for  admiration.  They  cannot  make  half  the  dis- 
play I  can;"  and  he  frisked  around  with  short  dancing 
steps,  the  curly  mane  flying,  and  the  fat  shaking  on  his 
sides.  The  words  he  pointed  to  in  the  paper  shone  like 


330  HOKSE     POETEATTUEE. 

letters  illuminated  with  jets  of  gas:  "North  Star,  Morgan's 
dam,  was  got  by  Young  Diomed,  grandsire  Old  Diomed,  great- 
grandsire  Sir  Archy,  (a  thoroughbred  horse.)"  "What  do 
you  think  of  that,  you  cavilling  sucker  ?  and  look  at  my 
Arabian  head,  my  curling  tail  and  mane,  my  body,  mod- 
eled in  the  most  perfect  form  to  fly  over  the  sands  of  the 
desert — don't  they  show  blood — and  I  weigh  eleven  hun- 
dred, though  six  inches  lower  than  some  of  your  dunghill 
Messengers." 

I  gazed  at  this  illustrious  grandson  of  Old  Diomed,  till 
in  the  place  of  one  there  where  hundreds  with  the  same 
features,  contrasting  so  strangely  with  the  sway  back  and 
rolling  gait.  They  grew  indistinct  and  shadowy,  until 
they  were  partially  lost  in  the  hazy  atmosphere,  which 
soon  became  lurid  as  though  there  were  great  prairie  fires 
on  every  side,  and  I  found  myself  pinned  down  in  the 
midst,  fastened  with  lariats,  and  bound  up  in  cuyote  and 
buffalo  robes.  I  struggled  for  breath,  but  could  not  move. 
Four  stalwart  Indians  encircled  me,  with  scrapers  in  their 
hands  heated  to  a  glowing  heat,  and  they  forced  me  to 
drink  a  bucketful  of  molten  lava,  that  was  flowing  from  a 
cleft  in  the  burning  mountain.  To  heighten  my  anguish. 
I  heard  your  voice  ordering  them  to  throw  some  more 
robes  on,  and  be  ready  with  their  rubbers  and  scrapers. 
Four  more  brawny,  red  skinned,  ferocious-looking  fiends 
drew  near.  They  had  long  scalp  locks  for  rubbing-cloths 
that  were  yet  red  and  reeking  with  blood,  as  though  newly 
torn  from  their  victims,  the  gore  staining  the  long  silken 
hair  of  different  colors.  I  recognized  the  golden  bands  of 

Jane  P ,  the  raven  tresses  of  Susan,  and  Miss 's 

luxuriant  locks.  I  cannot  describe  the  suffering;  it  seemed 
more  intense  than  my  nerves  could  bear,  and  I  felt  them 
snapping  and  torn  asunder,  giving  the  same  sensation,  only 
tenfold  greater  than  is  felt  when  the  bungling  dentist  rolls 
a  tooth  over  with  the  turnkeys.  You  gave  the  order  to 


A     "GREEK     HOUSE."  331 

scrape  me  and  rub  out  my  poll.  The  hissing  of  the  per- 
spiration, as  it  flowed  from  the  red-hot  scrapers,  and  the 
scorching  of  the  skin,  was  actually  pleasant,  when  compared 
with  the  first  touch  of  the  gory  scalp-locks.  Human 
nature  could  not  bear  it,  and  with  a  shriek  of  anguish  I 
awoke.  I  lay  tossing  about  the  remainder  of  the  night, 
neither  being  able  or  having  the  inclination  to  sleep 
further. 

PRECEPTOR. — No  wonder  you  look  haggard;  want  of  sleep 
and  such  a  dream  are  enough  to  make  the  complexion 
wan  and  the  eye  dim. 

In  all  my  remembrance  I  cannot  recall  a  finer  season 
than  this  has  been  for  the  training  of  horses.  The  weather 
has  more  to  do  with  the  conditioning  process  than  many, 
particularly  those  who  are  not  engaged  in  the  business, 
are  aware  of.  A  man  has  a  horse  he  is  using  on  the  road, 
and  finding  that  he  possesses  a  good  deal  of  speed,  is 
struck  with  the  idea  that  he  must  have  him  trained,  so  he 
loses  no  time  in  making  his  way  to  the  track,  goes  to  the 
trainer  he  has  selected  to  superintend  the  education,  and 
signifies  his  wishes.  The  trainer  is,  of  course,  anxious  to 
get  another  student,  the  price  of  whose  tuition  will  assist 
to  pay  the  heavy  bills  that  are  presented  at  the  end  of 
every  month,  and  is  unwittingly  led  to  increase  the  owner's 
sanguine  expectations,  by  extolling  the  good  form  and 
promising  gait  of  the  pupil. 

The  country  dealer  who  brought  him  to  town  had  given 
his  full  history,  his  ancestry,  near  and  remote,  the  little 
or  no  work  he  had  to  bring  out  his  trotting  gait.  "He 
was  raised  by  Farmer  such  a  one,  and  never  had  a  single 
harness  on  unless  to  plow  corn,  till  so  many  days  ago, 
when  he  was  purchased  out  of  the  wagon  that  brought  a 
load  of  grain  to  the  market  town."  The  dealer  will  add 
that  he  was  induced  to  purchase  him  from  knowing  his 
stock,  which  was  first-rate,  and  which  he  is  likely  to  repre- 


332  r        HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

sent  as  that  most  in  vogue.  The  horse  is  then  harnessed, 
and  though  a  little  awkward,  shows  speed  that  the  buyer 
is  sure  is  unknown  to  the  seller,  and  the  bargain  is  closed 
by  paying  a  round  sum,  which  the  dealer  knows  enough 
to  ask,  speed  or  no  speed.  Both  are  pleased,  one  having 
made  a  hundred  or  two  above  expenses,  and  the  other, 
satisfied  that  he  has  an  embryotic  trotter  that  in  due  time 
will  be  as  fast  as  the  best.  He  has  been  told  that  the  horse 
has  had  no  driving,  and  he  will  have  to  handle  him  very 
carefully  for  a  while,  till  he  gets  used  to  the  shafts.  So 
he  jogs  him  in  out-of-the-way  places  where  he  will  not  be 
likely  to  have  his  attention  distracted,  though  he  cannot 
resist  the  temptation  to  let  him  go  along  a  little,  whenever 
a  smooth  road  is  gone  over.  As  he  and  the  horse  become 
acquainted,  he  is  gratified  with  an  increase  of  speed  that 
fully  corroborates  the  dealer's  history.  The  same  story  is 
repeated  to  the  trainer,  who  cannot  but  agree  that  the 
gait  of  the  horse  is  very  fast  for  one  that  never  had  any 
handling.  Should  he  signify  his  doubts  of  that  being  the 
case,  the  matter  is  set  at  rest  by  the  conclusive  argument 
that  he  could  not  trot  in  three  and  a  half  when  first  pur- 
chased, and  now  he  can  go  close  to  three  minutes.  The 
facts  are  that  the  horse  had  been  driven  for  two  seasons 
in  the  country,  perhaps  not  very  judiciously,  but  still  so 
as  to  develope  a  good  deal  of  speed.  Being  sore  from  the 
journey  when  first  tried,  and  not  being  accustomed  to  the 
vehicle,  it  took  a  few  days  for  him  to  get  at  himself,  which 
resulted  in  the  over-estimation  in  which  he  was  held.  The 
seller  was  aware  that  he  would  get  more  for  him  from  this 
duplicity,  than  if  he  took  time  himself  to  bring  the  horse 
round  and  show  the  speed  he  honestly  possessed,  as  that 
would  be  more  than  would  agree  with  the  truth  of  his 
narrative,  without  being  fast  enough  to  enhance  his 
value,  when  considered  as  a  partially  trained  horse.  The 
trainer  takes  him  under  this  false  estimate,  and  he  is 


JEALOUSY  OF  TEAIKERS.       333 

mortified  that  lie  does  not  improve  as  the  owner  and  he 
expected.  After  weeks  or  months  are  spent,  and,  per- 
haps, just  as  there  is  a  chance  for  him  to  improve,  the 
owner  becomes  disgusted,  and  takes  the  horse  away,  blam- 
ing the  trainer  for  not  knowing  "how  to  get  the  speed  out 
of  him." 

Bad  weather  has  not  had  much  to  do  with  this  disap 
pointment,  but  there  are  cases  where  the  trainer  is  blamed 
for  what  he  could  not  control  any  more  than  in  this  in- 
stance. A  horse  has  trotted  the  previous  season  fast,  has 
been  well  wintered,  and  is  put  into  the  hands  of  the  trainer 
in  the  spring  in  as  fine  order  to  commence  work  as  could 
be  wished.  Rain,  making  muddy  tracks,  and  cold,  raw 
weather,  makes  it  impossible  that  the  horse  should  have 
the  necessary  work.  After  a  lapse  of  time,  which  the 
owner  thinks  sufficient,  a  trial  is  insisted  upon,  which  is, 
of  course,  unsatisfactory.  The  horse  is  hurried  into 
another  with  the  same  result,  and  the  trainer's  incapacity 
seems  to  be  apparent,  and  the  horse*  is  removed  into  other 
hands.  There  have  probably  been  machinations  to  effect 
this  which  are  unknown  to  the  credulous  owner.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  anything  against  members  of  the  craft,  but 
there  is  jealousy  of  each  other  that  prompts  them  to  go  to 
lengths  that  are  contemptibly  mean.  If  a  horse  is  not  do- 
ing well  in  the  hands  of  a  trainer,  his  rival's  stool  pigeons 
will  commence  work  by  telling  things  that  will  reach  the 
owner's  ears,  and  such  as  will  surely  have  the  intended 
effect,  if  the  man  is  not  thoroughly  conversant  with  these 
nefarious  practices.  Should  the  rival  manage  to  have  the 
horse  transferred  to  him,  his  aim  is  accomplished.  Some- 
thing is  gained  if  he  can  only  say,  "Mr.  Blank  took  his 
horse  from  Jones  and  gave  him  to  me."  If  the  horse  does 
well,  there  is  no  end  to  his  boasting  of  what  he  has  done, 
which  the  owner  can  only  repay  by  giviog  him  all  his  win- 
nings in  addition  to  his  regular  training  expenses.  If  he 

15 


334  HOUSE    PORTEAITUEE. 

does  not  do  well,  the  fault  is  entirely  in  the  horse,  or  some- 
thing might  have  been  done  with  him  if  Jones  had  not 
"  burned  him  up "  while  he  had  him.  An  owner  should 
ponder  well  before  putting  his  horse  into  any  person's 
hands,  and  when  he  does,  justice  demands  that  he  should 
give  the  trainer  every  opportunity  of  managing  as  he  de- 
sires, and  allow  him  time  enough,  in  all  contingencies,  to 
get  the  horse  in  order. 

You  can  hitch  Never  Mind  to  the  sulky  and  jog  him 
three  miles  slowly.  I  once  practiced  giving  a  "horse  sharp 
work  the  day  after  the  sweat,  in  accordance  with  the  con- 
dition he  was  in.  My  plan  now  is  to  let  a  day  intervene, 
as  I  think  it  is  better  to  wait  till  the  debility  that  follows 
is  removed.  Never  Mind  steps  off  light  and  corky,  an  in- 
fallible sign  that  we  did  not  overdo  the  sweating. 

PUPIL. — He  was  anxious  to  go,  and  I  am  confident  he 
feels  better  than  he  has  before.  There  is  an  elasticity  in 
his  movement  that  reminds  me  of  a  young  Highlander, 
who  always  walk,  with  a  sort  of  bound,  as  though  the 
ground  had  a  spring  that  propelled  him  on  as  he 
touched  it. 

PRECEPTOR. — In  driving  the  Falcon,  you  can  jog  him  four 
miles,  when  the  rate  can  be  increased  to  a  three-and-a- 
half  gait  for  two  and  a  quarter  more.  Go  the  reverse  way 
of  the  track  at  first,  and  when  you  finish  at  the  quarter 
pole,  let  him  come  back  a  little  faster. 

You  did  that  as  well  as  possible,  not  varying  five  seconds 
from  the  time,  and  each  portion  of  the  distance  was  gone 
at  the  same  rate.  Jane  you  can  jog  longer  than  we  would 
otherwise,  to  try  and  wear  the  wire  edge  off,  so  that  she 
will  go  a  trifle  faster  than  she  has  been  accustomed  to, 
without  wanting  to  break  away.  Drive  her  slowly  a  few 
rounds  at  the  gait  she  has  been  going,  which  you  can 
increase  to  the  same  rate  you  drive  the  Falcon.  Should 
she  rush  off,  do  not  attempt  to  hold  her  back  with  a  steady 


OBEDIENCE     TO     THE     WORD     WHOA.       335 

hard  pull,  but  bring  her  to  a  full  stop  as  before  ;  jog  her 
a  while  longer,  and  try  her  again.  Should  she  still  prove 
untractable  pursue  the  same  course,  and  bring  her  to  the 
barn.  At  the  next  trial,  we  will  put  the  Kemble  Jackson 
check  on,  and  if  that  does  not  succeed,  she  will  have  to  be 
driven  at  the  same  time  as  the  Falcon,  when,  by  putting 
her  behind  his  sulky,  she  will  be  compelled  to  keep  at  the 
rate  we  want  her  to  go.  I  do  not  think  it  wih1  be  necessary 
to  resort  to  this  plan,  as,  from  the  kind  way  she  has  lately 
gone  in  her  exercise,  I  think  she  will  still  continue  to  favor 
us  with  good  behavior.  Be  very  careful  not  to  pull  at  her  ; 
the  least  possible  pull  on  the  reins  the  better,  as  long  as 
they  are  kept  taut.  I  find  your  horses  are  all  obedient  to 
the  word  whoa,  when  spoken  energetically.  Should  the 
mare  act  like  wanting  to  go  faster,  talk  soothingly  to  her  ; 
as  "  gently,  my  lady  ;"  "  careful,  my  girl ;"  but  when  the 
whoa  comes,  be  sure  that  it  is  foUowed  by  instant  sub- 
mission to  the  mandate. 

PUPIL. — One  of  the  first  lessons  I 'give  when  breaking 
colts  is  to  stop  at  the  word  whoa,  and  I  never  use  it  after- 
wards except  when  they  are  wanted  to  come  to  a  full  stop. 
To  signify  to  them  that  they  are  going  fast  enough,  I  say, 
"steady  ;"  to  slacken  their  gait,  "  slower  my  boy,  slower," 
and  I  find  that  a  difference  in  intonation  is  soon  learned, 
and  I  can  talk  to  them,  and  they  will  obey  as  if  almost 
human  in  their  understanding.  To  teach  a  horse,  that  has 
not  been  taught  the  importance  of  the  word  that  signifies 
stop,  I  use  the  small  rope  that  I  have  spoken  of  in  the 
allonging  process.  The  loop  is  put  round  the  lower  jaw, 
and  the  cord  carried  over  the  neck  near  the  withers,  run- 
ning from  there  through  the  loop.  This  gives  a  double 
power,  sufficient  to  place  the  animal  in  such  a  position 
that  he  cannot  possibly  move  ahead.  You  lead  him  along, 
and  when  the  word  is  given,  you  accompany  it  by  an  in- 
stant poll  on  the  rope  ;  he  cannot  move  till  you  slacken 


336  HOUSE    POKTRAITTJBE. 

it,  and  the  stopping  and  word  are  ever  after  associated 
with  being  compelled  to  stop.  The  value  of  this  lesson 
must  not  be  subsequently  spoiled  by  using  "whoa"  to 
signify  several  different  actions,  but  for  immediate  stop- 
ping alone. 

So  highly  do  I  value  the  importance  of  this  lesson,  and 
the  habit  of  compliance,  that  I  am  very  careful  not  to  use 
the  word  when  there  is  a  likelihood  of  its  not  being  attended 
to,  and  if  one  of  my  horses  were  to  become  suddenly  fright- 
ened, I  would  rather  let  him  run  a  little  till  I  thought  he 
could  understand  what  I  said.  I  can  illustrate  this  by  re- 
counting a  circumstance  that  happened  before  I  left  home. 
I  had  traded  to  a  friend  a  large  and  very  promising  five-year- 
old  horse,  that  had  only  been  broken  that  season.  He  had 
been  driven  on  the  track,  with  an  occasional  trip  to  the 
town,  before  the  sulky  or  skeleton  wagon.  He  was  very 
docile,  and  I  did  not  hesitate  to  recommend  him  as  one 
likely  to  make  a  very  valuable  road  horse.  My  friend 
drove  him  on  the  track,  and  was  very  much  pleased  with 
him  in  every  respect.  After  dinner,  I  hitched  him  to  a 
buggy,  to  which  the  shafts  were  so  short,  that,  in  order  to 
get  him  the  requisite  distance  from  the  whifHe-tree,  their 
points  came  just  opposite  the  shoulder-blade.  I  appre- 
hended no  trouble,  relying  on  the  quietness  of  his  dis- 
position. We  got  into  the  wagon,  and  went  to  town  ;  the 
steam  ferry-boat  lay  at  the  landing,  where  we  met  an 
acqaintance,  and  as  we  were  talking  to  him,  I  saw  that 
the  horse  was  becoming  frigthened  at  the  boat,  and  knowing 
that  the  pleasure  of  his  new  owner  in  driving  him  would 
be  much  enhanced  if  he  did  not  see  him  act  badly,  I 
requested  him  to  get  out  of  the  wagon,  and  I  would  drive 
on.  Before  he  could  get  out,  the  horse  became  so  uneasy 
as  to  render  alighting  difficult,  and  I  undertook  to  turn 
him  around  in  the  street,  so  that  he  would  not  see  the 
boat.  In  turning,  the  end  of  the  shaft  hit  his  shoulder, 


IMPORTANCE    OF    SIMPLE    COMMANDS.  337 

and  lie  became  frantic,  bounding  in  the  air  like  a  horse 
that  had  never  been  harnessed.  We  were  only  a  few  feet 
from  the  bluff-bank  of  the  river,  and  it  appeared  as  if 
nothing  would  save  us  from  taking  an  involuntary  bath  in 
the  Father  of  Waters.  I  succeeded,  however,  in  turning 
him  in  time  to  save  us  from  going  over  the  bank,  and  as 
we  got  fairly  straight  in  the  street,  my  friend  grasped  the 
reins.  The  instant  he  took  hold  of  them,  I  gave  up  my 
pull,  and  said  "whoa,"  the  horse  stopping  immediately. 
Our  united  strength  would  have  been  insufficient  to  stop 
him  by  pulling,  though  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  command 
the  former  lessons  were  thought  of  and  obeyed.  Shortly 
after  this  occurrence,  I  took  him  on  the  ferry-boat,  and  as 
soon  as  his  curiosity  was  satisfied,  he  was  as  tranquil  as 
if  in  the  stable. 

PEECEPTOE. — Perfect  acquiescence  to  our  demands  can 
only  be  looked  for  when  they  are  not  unreasonable,  and 
the  habit  of  using  several  words  to  denote  one  meaning, 
or  one  word  to  denote  different  actions,  will  only 
confuse  the  horse,  who  is  frequently  punished  for  the 
stupidity  of  the  driver.  I  noticed  the  peculiarity  when 
driving  your  horses,  and  congratulate  you  on  the  know- 
ledge your  pupils  display  in  this  essential  particular.  Yet 
it  strikes  me  you  were  a  little  afraid  that  Jane  would  prove 
refractory,  when  you  signified  your  fear  that  you  might  be 
Compelled  to  injure  her  mouth  to  stop  her  running  away. 

PUPIL, — I  did  not  know  whether  the  lessons  she  learned 
on  the  track,  or  those  of  a  later  day,  would  have  the  most 
weight,  but  was  inclined  to  think"  the  eaiier  impressions 
would  prove  the  stronger.  Colts  that  I  have  broken  are 
taught  at  every  subsequent  period  that  this  demand  must 
be  complied  with,  and  when  driven  either  in  or  out  of  the 
shafts,  it  is  duly  kept  in  their  mind. 

PEECEPTOE. — There  is  some  sense  in  your  reasoning, 


838  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

though  I  predict  Jane  will  be  of  very  little  trouble  ;  so  har- 
ness her,  and  let  us  see.  Well,  how  did  she  drive  ? 

PUPIL. — Admirably,  considering  her  former  habits.  I 
onfy  had  to  stop  her  twice,  when  she  took  the  gait  you 
specified  for  her  to  go,  and  retained  it  till  I  thought  it 
was  time  to  bring  her  to  the  barn. 

PBECEPTOB. — Everything  is  working  very  favorably,  and 
ought  to  impress  upon  you  the  value  of  kind  treatment. 
There  are  two  main  ideas  to  enforce  on  a  horse's  mind. 
The  first,  that  you  are  his  superior,  when  he  will  show  his 
loyalty  by  never  rebelling,  just  as  one  horse  in  a  pasture 
field  is  acknowledged  the  "  boss/'  till  he  corners  the  others 
where  they  have  to  fight ;  and  desperation  lending  them 
energy  to  gain  the  battle,  the  quondam  monarch  is  deposed. 
The  second  precept  is,  that  you  are  his  friend,  taking  more 
delight  in  rewards  than  punishment,  and  thus  bring  both 
passions  to  your  aid — fear  and  love.  I  want  to  see  Clipper 
harnessed.  I  have  been  making  arrangements  that  will 
prevent  my  being  with  you  all  the  time  as  heretofore, 
though  I  will  be  on  hand  frequently  to  notice  how  you 
are  getting  on,  and  to  give  such  directions  as  you  may 
need.  Whenever  a  change  of  work  or  treatment  is  re- 
quired, I  will  stay  long  enough  to  see  and  note  the 
consequences.  The  worst  thing  I  feared  was  that  Jane 
would  prove  unmanageable  ;  her  amiability  has  got  rid 
of  that  clog,  and  you  will  get  along  finely. 

PUPIL. — My  sorrow  at  losing  your  company  is  a  mark 
of  selfishness  that  I  hope  you  will  overlook.  Thanks  to 
your  teachings,  I  feel  a  great  deal  more  confidence  in  my 
ability  to  manage  thou  I  did,  and  while  I  would  not  have 
you  neglect  your  own  affairs  to  further  mine,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  have  your  aid  and  support  whenever  convenient. 

PEECEPTOB. — There  is  great  pleasure  in  assisting  those 
who  anxiously  strive  to  learn,  and  I  have  been  much 
gratified  with  the  constant  attention  you  Lave  given.  The 


SCIENCE     AND     PRACTICE.  839 

training  of  horses  is  like  all  other  ^ human  affairs — those 
who  think  the  most  will  succeed  the  best.  Mental  power 
is  as  certainly  benefited  by  cultivation  as  physical  power, 
and  one  cannot  be  sustained  in  full  vigor  without  the  aid 
of  the  other.  As  Dr.  Johnson  remarked,  there  are  only 
two  ways  of  doing  a  tlu'ng — a  right  and  a  wrong  way — 
and  we  will  invariably  find  that  the  thinking  worker  will 
be  nearer  right,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  than  the  man  whose 
mind  is  not  in  exercise.  Training  horses  for  fast  work  is 
a  science  that  has  been  neglected,  so  that  the  best  of  us 
have  only  a  very  trifling  insight  into  its  causes  and  effects, 
though  I  believe  the  day  is  not  distant  when  the  value  of 
scientific  knowledge  in  this  branch  will  be  recognized,  and, 
in  order  to  obtain  employment,  those  who  make  training 
their  business  will  have  to  go  through  a  course  of  study  to  fit 
them  for  performing  their  duties  understandingly.  It  is 
true  that  there  are  many  whose  success  merits  the  en- 
comiums they  receive,  their  industry,  application,  and 
energy  having  mastered  the  intricacies,  without  other  help 
than  long  practice  has  given  them.  Yet  these  exceptions 
only  prove  the  necessity  for  a  more  rigid  course  of  study. 
Science  can  never  be  expected  to  do  -away  with  practical 
knowledge,  and  however  much  benefit  we  may  derive  from 
its  light,  it  will  have  to  be  joined  to  the  art  that  is  acquired 
alone  from  daily  use.  Clinical  teachings  have  been  found 
more  effectual  than  reading,  in  preparing  men  to  success- 
fully contend  against  the  encroachments  of  disease  ;  yet 
both  combined  will  not  alone  entitle  the  doctor  to  con- 
fidence. He  must  have  acquired  knowledge  by  his  in- 
dividual efforts,  and  without  this  practice,  he  is  unable  to 
form  a  correct  diagnosis,  or  pursue  a  proper  treatment. 

That  grey  fellow,  I  see,  is  ready  for  you  to  jump  behind 
him  and  drive  him  leisurely  twice  round  the  track.  Jle 
has  rather  a  singular  gait  when  going  slow,  as  if  he  had 
rot  the  free  use  of  his  Hmbs  ;  this  will  wear  off  as  he  gets 


340  HOKSE    POBTKAITUBE. 

more  exercise.  There  is  a  great  improvement  in  the 
appearanca  of  his  limbs,  and  they  now  look  as  well  as 
though  he  had  gone  through  the  orthodox  courses  of 
physic,  which  would  have  further  weakened  the  tone  of 
his  stomach.  The  thickening  of  the  integuments  can  never 
entirely  be  got  rid  of.  Firing  would  be  beneficial,  but  I 
very  much  dislike  to  make  a  horse  undergo  the  torture  of 
the  iron,  unless  in  cases  that  imperatively  demand  the 
application. 

PUPIL. — With  the  recollections  of  the  Injuns  and  their 
red-hot  iron  scrapers  so  fresh  in  my  mind,  I  could  not 
bear  to  see  a  horse  fired.  Clipper's  legs  being  so  much 
better  than  I  ever  saw  them,  I  am  in  hopes  they  will  now 
stand  the  work. 

PRECEPTOR. — Percival,  in  concluding  an  essay  on  the 
strain  of  the  flexor  tendons,  after  recommending  the  iron 
in  extreme  cases,  says  : — "  By  the  firing-irons  have  horses, 
originally  worth  their  hundreds  of  pounds  sterling,  been 
raised  from  the  knacker's  price  to  then:  former  value.  By 
the  iron  has  many  a  broken-down  hunter,  and  many  a 
racer,  been  joyously  restored  to  his  station  and  rank  in 
the  field  where  his  proudest  laurels  have  been  won." 
Percival  is  high  authority  in  everything  pertaining  to 
horse  surgery,  and  his  opinions  are  worthy  of  consideration. 
Before  I  would  have  the  operation  of  firing  performed,  I 
would  consult  the  best  veterinarian  within  reach,  and  only 
resort  to  it  as  the  last  chance.  Thanks  to  the  introduction 
of  chloroform,  we  can  do  away  with  the  pain  attending  the 
application  of  the  cautery,  and  whenever  a  painful  operation 
has  to  be  undergone,  the  relief  it  gives  should  be  taken 
advantage  of.  If  it  were  necessary,  I  would  rather  live  on 
one  meal  a  day  for  a  month,  than  debar  a  horse  from  the 
benefits  of  this  agent,  when  undergoing  a  painful  opera- 
tion. 

We  have  yet  time,  before  the  feeding  hour,  to  see  how 


MAT     I^T     HEK     KEW     SHOES.  341 

May  will  perform  in  her  new  shoes.  They  will  induce  a 
higher  lifting  of  the  foot  now  than  after  she  has  worn 
them  for  some  time— so  that,  if  they  are  going  to  be  of 
service,  they  will  show  it  at  once.  I  have  mentioned  before 
the  great  difference  in  a  horse's  action  by  a  trifling  differ- 
ence in  the  weight  of  the  shoes.  A  few  ounces  added  or 
subtracted,  inequality  of  the  sides,  lowering  either  side  by 
a  greater  reduction  of  the  horn,  is  often  followed  by  a 
change  that  no  one  would  have  credited  without  a  trial. 
By  changing  the  shape  of  the  ground  surface  of  a  horse's 
foot  even  structural  defects  may  be  overcome,  and  the 
bias  arising  from  malformation  be  remedied.  You  can 
also  buclde  the  roll  on  to  May's  right  hind  pastern,  which 
will  guard  it  against  injury,  and  will  give  her  confidence 
as  well  as  protection.  "We  are  wonderfully  fortunate  in 
our  experiments,  having  been,  in  a  measure,  successful  in 
all  we  have  undertaken.  May  will  soon  go  as  straight  as 
any  of  them.  When  driving  her,  in  the  future,  confine 
her  to  the  stretches  when  you  speed  her,  and  it  will  be  as 
well  to  turn  her  every  time  you  come  through,  so  as  only 
to  traverse  this  part  of  the  track. 

Between  now  and  dinner  we  will  consider  what  is  further 
to  be  done  towards  the  conditioning  of  the  older  horses, 
and  in  educating  the  younger.  The  Falcon  there  is  no 
difficulty  with.  He  will  take  all  the  work  necessary  to 
prepare  him  for  any  kind  of  a  race.  For  the  ensuing  week, 
prolong  his  work  to  jogging  five  miles,  with  a  mile  or  so 
at  a  three-and-a-half  gait.  His  feed  can  be  increased  to 
ten  quarts  of  the  mixed  feed  per  day.  As  he  has  become 
as  tractable  on  the  track  as  on  the  road,  you  can  vary  the 
locality  of  the  work  of  all  of  the  horses,  by  driving  once 
or  twice  in  the  week  on  the  smoothest,  and  softest  road 
you  can  find.  In  three  days  you  can  prepare  Falcon  for 
a  sweat,  the  same  as  we  did  Never  Mind,  only  he  can  have 
his  usual  allowance  of  hay  until  the  night  before  we  give 

15* 


342  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

the  sweat.  When  he  is  grazing,  take  him  to  a  secluded 
part  of  the  field,  where  he  will  not  be  disturbed  by  the 
other  horses. 

Never  Mind  will  not  need  the  same  amount  of  work  ; 
jog  him  three  miles,  with  two  at  an  increased  gait ;  to- 
morrow morning  you  can  allow  him  to  brush  three- 
quarters  of  the  way  down  the  stretch,  but  be  sure  you 
keep  him  inside  his  best  rate.  The  preparation  for  his 
second  sweat  will  be  identical  with  that  for  the  first.  We 
will  sweat  him  and  Jane  on  the  same  day,  so  you  can  pre- 
pare her  at  the  same  time.  You  will  have  to  use  your 
own  judgment  in  the  work  you  give  her.  I  would  jprefer 
it  to  be  a  medium  between  the  Falcon's  and  Never  Mind's. 
Above  everything  else,  endeavor  to  keep  her  going  quietly, 
without  anything  approaching  a  hard  pull.  Keep  a  strict 
watch  of  the  boys,  that  they  do  not  even  speak  harshly  to 
her.  Should  any  of  them  have  a  cross  fit,  and  twitch  the 
horses  by  the  bit,  or  kick  and  strike  them,  discharge  them 
on  the  spot.  Clipper  must  be  jogged  very  quietly,  and 
his  morning  and  evening  walk  be  curtailed.  Watch  his 
legs  very  closely,  and  if  you  are  sure  there  is  not  a  particle 
of  heat,  use  cold  water  to  wash  them,  applying  the  band- 
ages, drawing  them  a  little  closer  than  before,  and  have 
his  legs  well  hand-rubbed,  the  boy  occupying  an  hour 
in  performing  this  task.  Should  there  be  any  heat,  use 
the  hot  water,  put  a  dry  bandage  over  the  wet,  and  leave 
them  on  all  night.  Let  him  be  grazed  for  the  time  his 
walk  is  shortened  in  the  evening,  and  when  in  the  stable, 
have  him  kept  as  quiet  as  possible.  His  feed  can  remain 
the  same  as  it  is  now.  Never  Mind  and  Jane  can  have  an 
additional  quart  at  night. 

Hirondelle  will  have  to  be  driven  a  good  deal  like  Jane. 
You  can  give  her  long,  steady  work,  keeping  her  well  in 
hand,  and  endeavoring  to  keep  her  high  spirit  within 
proper  bounds.  I  think  her  knee  action  will  be  improved 


BATTLES,     HITCHING,     ETC.  343 

by  wearing  the  rattles  once  in  a  while.  These  are  only  to 
be  put  on  occasionally,  as  their  every-day  use  would  defeat 
the  object  we  have  in  view  ;  the  novelty  would  soon  wear 
away,  and  the  only  thing  gained  would  be  the  added 
weight.  Some  cover  rattles  with  chamois  skins,  to  prevent 
them  chafing  the  skin.  I  would  rather  protect  that  by  a 
thin  piece  of  leather  or  cloth  tied  on  by  itself,  as  the 
covering  injures  the  flexibility  of  the  rattles,  and  the  noise 
the  beads  make  striking  against  each  other  induces  higher 
action,  than  would  be  the  case  if  the  noise  did  not  accom- 
pany their  use. 

Oriole  had  better  have  her  fast  work  in  short  brushes, 
and  whenever  she  shows  an  inclination  to  hitch,  pull  her 
up,  and  start  her  again.  I  have  seen  horses  that  would 
hitch  when  going  at  moderate  speed,  and  when  driven 
faster  would  go  as  true,  and  square  as  could  be  desired. 
Oriole,  being  anxious  to  do  all,  or  more  than  is  required, 
hitches  in  endeavoring  to  take  a  longer  stride.  This  is 
more  favorable  than  if  she  had  acquired  it  by  pulling 
heavy  weight,  which  would  be  harder  to  set  right.  Ma- 
vourneen  will  have  to  be  driven  according  to  your  discre- 
tion. I  am  afraid  she  will  not  repay  you  as  well  for  the 
time  spent  as  the  others,  but  one  can  never  prophesy  very 
confidently  about  trotting  colts.  Those  we  think  the  least 
of  may  change  in  their  way  of  going,  and  surprise  us  by 
beating  others  that  seemed  greatly  superior. 


CHAPTEE    XXIY. 

DAT     DBEAMS — FOOD     FOB    HORSES     IN     TRAINING — HAY,     CORN 

BLADES,    STRAW,    OATS,    COBN,    LINSEED-MEAL,   OAT-MEAL, 

SAGO,   GEEEN  FOOD,  ETC. — TIME   OF  FEEDING. 

PUPIL. — I  will  have  to  find  amusement  in  following  the 
vagaries  of  my  imagination,  when  deprived  of  your  com- 
pany while  smoking  after  dinner.  Whether  the  habit  of 
day  dreaming  when  the  pipe  is  lit,  which  my  forest  life 
has  fostered,  will  ever  be  broken,  I  cannot  imagine.  It  is 
certain  that  I  cannot  read  when  I  am  thus  engaged.  If  I 
attempt  to  find  instruction  or  amusement  in  books,  I  am 
unsuccessful.  The  book  will  drop,  and  I  am  transported 
to  other  times,  and  far-away  places,  or  am  reveling  in 
scenes  that  can  never  be  expected  to  occur.  Conversation 
lispels  the  phantasies  of  the  brain,  and  absolves  me  from 
Jus  folly  when  in  company.  Should  I  endeavor  to  study, 
when  alone,  the  task  is  as  futile  as  reading.  I  am  soon 
lost  in  reveries,  and  I  have  given  up  all  hopes  of  saving 
the  time  occupied  in  solitary  smoking.  The  half  hour  thus 
spent,  or  thrown  away,  has  become  a  luxury  which  I  would 
be  loth  to  part  with,  if  for  nothing  more  than  that  it  is 
a  prolongation  of  the  happy  period,  akin  to  the  bright 
days  of  youth,  when  the  fancy  pictured  glowing  futurities, 
of  which  the  judgment  yet  did  not  show  the  fallacy. 

My  countrymen  have  been  characterized  as  a  painstak- 
ing, demure,  stubborn  sort  of  people,  who  found  in  every- 
day reality,  a  life  more  pleasing  than  any  efforts  of  the 
imagination  could  afford.  I  am  satisfied  they  are  wronged 


"AULD     SCOTIA."  345 

in  this  estimate,  and  that  no  other  people  are  so  completely 
carried  away  with,  or  live  more  in,  an  ideal  world.  My 
first  recollections  are  of  sitting  on  an  old  nurse's  lap — 
under  whose  fostering  care  two  generations  of  our  family 
had  been  nurtured — and  listening  to  the  tales  she  told, 
still  vividly  remembered.  I  am  satisfied  she  did  not  depend 
on  her  memory,  as  the  infinite  variety  of  tales,  from  which 
she  always  selected  the  one  most  appropriate  to  the  mood 
of  her  auditors,  was  beyond  human  recollection.  Fairies, 
brownies,  goblins,  water-kelpies,  and  all  spirits  ever  sup- 
posed to  have  an  existence  in  any  element,  were  at  her 
will ;  the  dramatis  personae  of  romances  that  would  take 
the  nights  of  a  winter  month  to  bring  to  a  conclusion. 
There  were  ghost  stories  that,  in  the  horrid  ghastliness  of  her 
minute  descriptions,  fairly  curdled  the  blood  ;  legends  of 
castle,  town,  and  lonely  cot,  and  histories  of  every  "  ruin- 
ed wa "  in  the  neighborhood  were  faithfully  recounted ; 
old  battles,  in  which  some  ancestor  had  taken  a  prominent 
part,  were  told  so  heroically  that  even  the  child  was  a  mimic 
soldier,  and  felt  his  heart  swell  in  the  hopes  of  imitating 
those  deeds  of  high  devoir ;  love  tales,  where  the  suitor 
went  away  in  poverty,  to  dwoll  in  foreign  lands,  returning 
rich  and  distinguished,  to  find  the  lassie  that  had  been  the 
magnet  which  attracted  him  to  conquer  every  obstacle, 
some  of  them  seemingly  insurmountable  was  "aye  leal" — 
always  true — 

"  '  Away  wi'  beguiling,  cried  the  youth,  smiling, 
Off  went  the  bonnet,  the  lintwhite  locks  flee ; 

The  belted  plaid  fa'ing,  her  white  bosom  shawing, 
Fair  stood  the  loved  maid  wi'  the  dark  rolling  e'e." 

The  history  of  "  Auld  Scotia,"  so  much  like  a  romance, 
lost  none  of  the  brightness  of  coloring  in  her  hands. 
From  the  time  the  victorious  Romans  builfc  the  celebrated 
wall  to  assist  in  protecting  themselves  from  the  valor  of 


346  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

a  people,  their  superiors  in  bravery,  to  the  union  with 
England,  her  knowledge  was  far  beyond  that  of  the  books. 
Of  things  that  happened  subsequently  to  the  incorporation 
of  the  two  countries,  she  would  take  no  note,  as,  according 
to  her  idea, 

"  The  English,  for  once,  by  guile  won  the  day," 

and  to  join  in  friendship  with  their  auld  allies  was  a 
stretch  of  philosophical  forbearance  beyond  the  tenets  in- 
culcated in  her  mind.  The  framers  of  the  American  Con- 
stitution, when  they  added  the  clause  that  the  chief  officer 
of  this  country  should  be  a  native,  were  aware  of  the  ties 
that  never  can  be  broken,  which  binds  a  man  to  his  father- 
land ;  and  though  I  left  the  bleak  hills  of  Scotland  when  a 
boy,  and  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since  then,  I 
would  not  renounce  the  place  of  my  nativity,  to  be  at  the 
head  of  this  powerful  government.  This  is,  no  doubt,  non- 
sense; as  the  renunciation  would  not  aid  me  in  climbing 
one  step  towards  that  high  position,  though  the  remem- 
brance of  the  heathery  hills,  the  holms  studded  with 
gowans,  and  the  sparkling  burns,  will  always  be  a  war- 
rant for  my  loyalty. 

.  Peggy*8  great  forte,  however,  was  poetry,  and  her  audi- 
tory of  "  toddlin  bairns"  was  never  cloyed  by  a  surfeit, 
though  her  repertoire  of  ballads,  love  songs,  and  merry 
chants  was  as  extensive  as  her  legendary  lore.  She  could 
not  often  be  coaxed  to  "  wed  the  words  of  music,"  but 
when  she  did,  the  simple  grace  with  which  she  sung  the 
old  Scotch  tunes  is  remembered  yet,  sounding  like  the 
voices  I  have  heard  in  the  woods  at  midnight — spirit- 
voices  murmuring  chimes  of  another  land.  The  feeling 
with  which  she  rendered  the  pathetic  ones,  like  Cumnor 
Hall,  or  the  lamentations  of  some  of  the  exiled  adherents 
of  the  house  of  Stuart,  I  have  never  heard  equaled,  and 


DAT     DEEAMS.  347 

when  the  little  bosoms  were  heaving,  and  the  tears  could 
not  be  restrained  by  summoning  the  pride  that  considered 
such  a  display  weakness,  and  derogatory  to  the  character 
of  manliness,  which  all  Scotch  boys  are  taught  to  believe 
the  first  great  aim, — and  were  culminating  in  a  flood  of 
"greeting"  she  would  change  the  tears  to  hearty  laughter 
by  a  grotesque  recitation  of  some  humorous  song,  that 
would  have  moved  the  mirth  of  the  crying  philosopher 
himself.  Humor  was  not  as  much  to  her  liking  as  the 
tender  or  supernatural,  and  unless  she  thought  it  necessary 
to  remove  painful  feelings,  induced  by  fear  of  seeing  some 
spectre  wraith  flitting  by  the  ivy-curtained  windows,  or 
to  banish  those  of  acute  commiseration,  she  never  re- 
sorted to  it.  I  have  introduced  the  old  nurse  partly  as 
an  instance  to  prove  that  the  existence  of  deep  imaginative 
feeling  among  the  Scotch  is  common — as  I  never  heard 
my  nurse  was  peculiar  in  this  respect — and  as  possibly  ac- 
counting for  my  habits  of  seeing  visions  and  dreaming 
dreams  at  times  when  the  mantle  of  sleep  does  not  envelop 
me.  I  have  found  the  benefit  of  looking  for  a  "silver  lining 
in  every  cloud ; "  though  one  sink  a  heavy  mass,  un- 
relieved by  the  slightest  penciling  of  a  warmer  color,  the 
next  one  may  be  bright  enough  to  make  amends.  The  colt 
gamboling  in  the  sunshine,  and  which  we  believed  destined 
to  do  great  deeds,  to  make  the  heart  bound  at  the  pleasure 
of  having  reared  it,  turns  out  at  the  allotted'  time  to  be 
worthless.  The  visions  are  dispelled  only  to  be  renewed 
with  those  of  another  year,  invested  with  still  brighter 
hopes.  The  cigars  Jiave  burned  out.  Forgive  the  egotism 
that  has  intruded  on  you  the  days  of  childhood,  which, 
however  bright  in  the  remembrance,  are  not  exactly  the 
thing  to  interest  others. 

PKECEPTOB. — You  need  not  apologise.  I  feel  something 
of  the  same  kind  steal  over  me  when  smoking.  I  assuredly 
never  thought  the  want  of  imagination  a  Scotch  characteris- 


348  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

tic,  and  you  are  undoubtedly  wrong  in  thinking  such  to 
be  the  estimate  of  the  public  generally.  Scotch  history, 
her  romances,  traditions,  poetry,  and  music,  prove  the 
contrary.  I  have  read — and  who  has  not  ? — many  works  of 
Scotch  fancy  ;  and  from  James  the  First  of  Scotland,  in 
whose  King's  Quhair  there  is  "Beauty  enough  to  make  the 
world  to  doat,"  to  Alexander  Smith,  her  poets  have  been 
in  the  front  rank.  Why,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd  could  never 
have  had  an  existence  in  a  country  whose  people  were  not 
highly  imaginative.  His  "Queen's  Wake,"  though  read 
many  years  ago,  and  my  recollections  of  it  indistinct  now, 
still  captivates  my  fancy  ;  and  passages,  thought  to  have 
been  long  forgotten,  come  freshly  to  my  mind.  How  com- 
pletely does  he  exalt  the  "Lovely  Kilmeny"  above  earthly 
life !  and  when  transporting  her  to  the  "land  unseen,"  the 
transition  appears  proper,  without  the  aid  of  death.  For 

"her  beauty  was  fair  to  see, 

But  still  and  steadfast  was  her  e'e ; 
Such  beauty  bard  may  never  declare 
For  there  was  no  pride  nor  passion  there, 
And  the  soft  desire  of  maiden's  e'en 
In  that  mild  face  could  never  be  seen. 
Her  seymar  was  the  lily  flower, 
And  her  cheek  the  moss  rose  in  the  shower, 
And  her  voice  like  the  distant  melodye 
That  floats  along  the  twilight  sea." 

But  to  prove  the  imaginative  power  of  Scotch  poets  and 
romance  writers,  would  be  a  waste  *of  time,  like  giving 
reasons  for  twice  two  being  four. 

We  will  now  divest  ourselves  of  sleeping  or  waking 
fancies,  and  consider  the  important  question  of  feeding 
horses  in  training.  In  order  that  a  horse  may  be  in  proper 
condition  to  go  fast,  the  greatest  care  is  requisite  in 
feeding.  The  food  must  be  of  the  best  quality,  and  the 


THE     BEST     QUALITY     OF     HAY.  349 

amount  regulated  to  the  wants  of  the  animal.  Hay,  corn 
blades,  and  straw  are  the  articles  used  as  the  bulky  por- 
tions of  the  food,  and  the  different  kinds  of  grain  as  the 
nutritious.  It  would  be  impossible  to  get  a  horse  in  order 
if  restricted  to  either  class.  The  hay  would  not  afford 
nourishment  sufficient,  while  the  grain  alone  would  not 
keep  up  the  tone  of  the  stomach,  and  indigestion  would 
quickly  follow.  In  my  opinion,  the  best  hay  is  good  bright 
Timothy,  cut  at  the  proper  time,  and  cured  in  a  perfect 
manner.  It  is  better  for  being  two  years  old,  as,  when  it 
has  become  thoroughly  seasoned,  there  seems  to  be  a 
change  that  renders  it  easier  of  chymification.  It  does 
not  ferment  in  the  stomach,  and  is,  in  every  particular, 
better  for  the  purpose.  The  hay  cut  from  old  meadows 
is  superior  to  that  from  those  recently  laid  down,  unless 
the  farmer  has  used  a  great  deal  more  seed  than  a  majority 
of  agriculturists  deem  necessary.  New  meadows,  where 
the  soil  is  rich,  and  from  twelve  to  sixteen  quarts  of  seed 
sown  to  the  acre,  will  grow  better  hay  than  old  meadows 
that  have  become  poor  from  long  cropping. 

To  determine  good  hay  by  observation  is  a  very  nec- 
essary knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  horse  owner  and 
trainer.  It  should  be  free  from  dirt  or  discoloration,  the 
stalks  fine,  with  plenty  of  leaves  on  them.  When  handled, 
a  fragrant  aroma  should  arise,  and  on  examining  the 
heads,  the  seeds  should  adhere  to  the  husks  that  cover 
them.  There  is  a  stage  in  the  growth  of  this  grass  when 
the  dust  or  pollen  of  the  flowers  will  rise  in  a  cloud,  when 
a  puff  of  wind  blows  over  the  field.  This  is  at  the  time  of 
the  first  blossoming,  and  if  the  grass  is  cut  at  this  stage, 
or  before,  the  hay  will  be  bad  and  dusty.  This  fine,  al- 
most impalpable  powder,  will  be  very  injurious,  though 
extremely  difficult  to  detect.  The  seed  is  the  best  guide, 
and  in  this  case  the  ear  will  have  a  shriveled  appearance, 
the  seed  scarcely  formed.  The  heads  or  ears  should  be 


350  HORSE    POKTKAITUEE. 

nearly  as  plump  as  if  the  seeds  were  ripe,  which  will  show 
that  it  has  not  been  cut  till  after  this  dusty  era  has  passed. 
If  the  grass  stands  too  long,  the  woody  fibre  predominates, 
and  the  hay  is  brittle,  tasteless,  with  only  a  small  part  of 
its  nutritive  qualities  left.  Hay  sometimes  heats,  or  mow- 
burns,  without  showing  discoloration  enough  to  detect  it 
from  the  appearance.  To  discover  this,  take  up  a  large 
handful  and  hold  it  to  the  mouth  and  nostrils,  breathing 
on  it,  and  if  it  is  injured,  a  moldy  odor  will  be  apparent. 

The  evils  resulting  from  using  foxy,  mowburnt  hay,  are 
generally  known  and  guarded  against.  Horses  will  eat  it 
greedily,  the  sweet  taste  it  has  acquired  from  the  process 
of  fermentation  making  it  palatable  to  them  when  they 
are  first  fed  with  it.  I  have  heard  people  remark,  "  That 
hay  does  not  look  very  well,  but  my  horses  eat  it  first 
rate  ;"  when  it  has  been  almost  damaged  enough  to  be 
poisonous.  It  soon  affects  the  kidneys,  causing  an  excessive 
flow  of  urine,  which  unchecked,  would  soon  end  in  debility. 
This  seems  to  occur  before  there  is  much  derangement 
of  the  stomach,  though  continuing  its  use  would  also  dis- 
order that. 

A  mixture  of  Timothy  and  red-top  makes  very  good 
hay,  and  would  be  my  next  choice  after  that  wholly  con- 
sisting of  the  first  named.  Clover  will  not  do,  under  any 
circumstances,  no  matter  how  much  care  has  been  taken 
in  cutting  and  curing.  It  seems  to  interfere  with  the  action 
of  the  respiratory  organs,  and  is  inadmissible  for  horses 
in  training,  and  can  only  be  used  as  green  food.  Corn 
blades  are  very  valuable  as  "fodder"  for  horses  in  training, 
and  when  I  wanted  a  horse  in  "tip-top-fettle,"  I  would 
rather  pay  an  exorbitant  price  than  do  without  them. 
They  ought  to  be  stripped  from  the  stalk  when  the  grain 
begins  to  glaze,  stuck  up  in  small  handfuls  on  the  ears  to 
dry,  and  when  thoroughly  cured,  bound  in  small  bundles, 
and  stored  on  a  scaffolding,  formed  of  poles  placed  on  the 


STRAW     AS     FORAGE.  351 

beams  of  the  barn.  It  would  not  do  to  put  many  of  them 
together,  as  the  least  fermentation  spoils  them.  They 
have  to  sweat  as  well  as  hay,  but  the  dampness  arising 
must  have  every  opportunity  to  evaporate.  I  would  feed 
them  alternately  with  hay,  as  blades  in  the  forenoon  and 
hay  at  night,  though  I  have  known  horses  that  would  do 
better  on  the  corn  blades  alone.  I  also  prefer  to  use  them 
before  a  race,  trial,  or  sweat,  as  they  seem  to  be  advan- 
tageous to  the  action  of  the  lungs,  probably  not  so  much 
from  occupying  a  smaller  space  in  the  stomach,  and  thus 
not  interfering  with  the  diaphragm,  but  also  by  a  differ- 
ence in  their  chemical  constituents. 

That  there  is  greater  freedom  of  breathing,  when  using 
one  kind  of  food  over  another,  is  well  known.  Mr.  Spal- 
ding,  the  celebrated  diver,  before  the  discovery  of  marine 
armor,  found  that  his  diet  had  a  sensible  effect  on  the 
consumption  of  air  in  the  diving-bell.  I  lament  the  want 
of  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  which  would  greatly  aid  me 
in  forming  correct  oppinions  on  this  point,  and  in  default 
of  that  knowledge,  can  only  state  the  result  of  experience, 
without  being  able  to  deduce  the  reasons  why  the  differ- 
ence should  exist.  Lord  Seymour,  who  did  so  much  to 
establish  racing  in  France,  trained  his  horses  on  straw  for 
forage,  and  was  very  successful  in  gettting  them  in  order. 
I  have  tried  it  with  some  horses  that  were  habitually 
costive,  with  good  results.  I  cut  it  in  a  straw-cutting  ma- 
chine and  mixed  it  with  the  grain,  a  portion  in  the  feed 
after  the  morning's  exercise,  and  the  balance  at  night.  By 
being  mixed,  the  grain  was  better  masticated  than  other- 
wise, though  this  can  always  be  accomplished  by  making 
the  horse  eat  with  a  large  bar  bit  in  his  mounth.  Prairie 
hay  I  have  heard  highly  extolled  by  some  of  those  who 
had  made  trips  into  the  section  of  country  where  its  use 
was  general,  but  having  no  personal  acquaintance,  I  can 
say  nothing  about  it. 


352  HOKSE    POETRAITURE. 

PUPIL. — When  I  "moved  to  the  West,"  there  was  no 
other  kind  grown,  and  it  would  have  been  thought  folly 
for  a  man  to  seed  his  ground  to  Timothy  or  clover,  when 
he  could  have  thousands  of  tons  of  prairie  hay  for  the 
cutting.  The  whole  country  at  that  time,  saving  the  small 
proportion  in  cultivation,  was  covered  with  grass.  The 
rolling  prairie  had  a  fine  growth,  that  would  yield  from 
one  to  two  tons  to  the  acre.  The  small  ravines  and  little 
flats  lying  along  the  creeks  had  a  thick  growth,  somewhat 
like  red-top,  which  would  cut  two  to  three  tons.  The  large 
bottoms  bordering  on  the  Mississippi  and  other  rivers 
were  hid  by  a  growth  that  looked  like  a  diminutive 
cane-brake,  and  would  cut  four  tons  and  upwards  to  the 
acre.  The  variety  of  large  grass  thought  most  highly  of 
is  called  blue-joint,  and  I  have  seen  it  grow  so  high  as  to 
completely  hide  a  man  on  horseback,  when  riding  through  it, 

A  few  miles  north  of  my  place  is  a  bottom  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Maquoketa  river  with  the  Mississippi  ;  it  is 
some  six  or  eight  miles  wide  between  the  bluffs  on  the 
latter  named  river,  gradually  narrowing  as  it  recedes  till, 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  up,  the  bluffs  come  together 
with  just  room  for  the  smaller  river  to  run  through.  These 
bluffs  are  an  appropriate  framework,  rising  to  a  height 
of  three  hundred  feet,  their  sides  nearly  perpendicular  and 
rocky,  but  where  their  abruptness  is  not  excessive  a 
heavy  timber  is  growing.  From  the  summit  of  the  bluffs 
one  can  see  almost  every  acre  of  this  luxuriant  delta,  and 
in  the  month  of  July  to  look  down  on  this  waving  "emerald 
sea"  of  verdure  is  a  beautiful  sight. 

On  this  bottom  I  was  favored  once  with  the  grandest 
demonstration  of  the  sublimity  of  a  prairie  on  fire  that  I 
ever  witnessed.  I  had  seen,  hundreds  of  times,  the  ruddy 
streams  chasing  each  other  over  the  rolling  prairie,  the 
line  extending  for  miles,  flickering  and  flashing  over 
thousands  of  acres.  This  is  always  a  pretty  sight,  calling 


A     PEAIEIE     ON     EIRE.  353 

forcibly  for  admiration,  without  exciting  a  thought  of  fear. 
A  man  could  break  through  the  edging  of  fire  with  no  greater 
injury  than  he  would  find  in  stepping  over  the  boxwood 
border  in  the  garden. 

But  this  bottom,  clothed  with  an  immense  growth  of 
blue-joint,  flags,  and  weeds,  dried 'till  they  were  as  inflam- 
mable as  pine  shavings,  when  on  fire  conveyed,  while 
there  was  abundant  room  for  admiration,  an  idea  of  the 
power  of  the  destructive  element,  that  almost  appalled  me 
with  its  ferocity.  The  night  on  the  occasion  of  which  I 
speak  was  dark  and  still.  Heavy  clouds  hid  every  star 
from  view,  and  there  was  no  wind.  The  fire  originated  in 
the  extreme  South-east  corner  of  the  bottom,  and  might 
have  been  caused  by  a  spark  from  a  passing  steamboat. 
The  residents  on  the  verge  of  the  woods  seeing  the  light, 
at  once  commenced  firing  the  dry  grass  in  their  neigh- 
borhood, so  as  to  "back  fire"  away  from  doing  injury  to 
the  timber,  fences,  and  stacks  at  the  foot  of  the  bluffs. 
Scarcely  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  elapsed  before  there 
was  a  perfect  cordon  of  fires  surrounding  the  whole  extent, 
and,  following  the  irregular  outline  at  the  base  of  the 
hills,  it  could  be  compared  to  a  huge  serpent;  gliding  in 
glowing  folds,  and  throwing  off  scintillations  from  its 
luminant  scales.  The  advancing  columns  drew  along  very 
placidly,  streaming  directly  upwards  in  the  still  air.  It 
was  not  long  ere  the  smoke  began  to  wave  and  surge,  and 
the  flames  to  leap  higher,  and  the  crackling  sound  was 
soon  joined  to  a  sibilant,  purring  noise,  and  currents  of 
air  began  to  draw  through  the  notches  among  the  bluffs, 
and  strangely  moan  in  the  dwarfed  red  cedars  that  fringed 
the  rock  where  I  was  seated.  The  murky  clouds  absorbed 
the  red  light  from  the  fire,  which  had  now  become  exten- 
sive enough  to  illuminate  the  bluffs,  and  cause  the  lesser 
stream  to  look  like  one  of  blood.  The  wailing  and  sighing 
of  the  wind  increased,  the  columns  of  fire  swayed,  shook 


354:  HOESE     POKTKAITURE. 

and  twisted  themselves  into  rapid  evolutions  ;  now  shoot- 
ing upward  far,  far  into  the  lurid  sky  ;  now  throwing 
themselves  forward  till  the  whole  level  prairie  was  ab- 
sorbed, and  burst  at  once  into  a  tumultuous  naming  sea. 
Looking  from  my  elevated  situation,  the  valley  appeared 
as  if  transformed  into  a  molten,  seething  lake,  hemmed  in 
with  red-hot  walls,  so  that  the  tormented  spirits  could  not 
escape. 

Burning  this  hay  is  not  the  way  to  acquaint  you  with 
its  value  for  forage.  Much  diversity  of  opinion  prevails 
in  reference  to  its  qualities,  and  while  some  of  the  Western 
trainers  will  not  use  it,  there  are  others  who  think  it  the 
only  kind  suitable  for  horses  that  work  fast.  These  last 
will  point  triumph  antly  to  the  fact  that  when  prairie  hay 
only  was  used,  heaves  were  unknown  in  the  Western 
country,  and  that  with  the  advent  of  Timothy  meadows, 
required  by  the  settlement  of  the  country,  this  distressing 
malady  also  made  its  appearance.  There  is  no  question 
of  the  truth  of  this  assertion.  When  I  first  went  to  Iowa 
the  disease  was  totally  unknown,  and  the  absence  of  it 
ascribed  to  a  variety  of  causes.  But  the  prevalence  of  this 
affection  of  the  lungs  in  the  same  locality  now,  where  the 
only  change  has  been  the  substitution  of  cultivated  for  the 
prairie  grasses,  certainly  proves  where  the  cause  exists. 
Notwithstanding  this,  I  do  not  like  it  as  well  as  Timothy, 
the  liability  of  which  to  injure  the  lungs  would  be  done 
away  with,  if  proper  care  were  taken  in  the  cutting, 
curing,  and  preserving. 

Thick  seeding,  as  you  remarked  is  very  necessary  to 
obtain  good  hay,  not  only  by  causing  a  finer  growth  of  the 
stalk  and  an  increase  of  the  leaves,  but,  by  getting  a  thick 
sward,  we  also  get  rid  of  a  good  deal  of  dust.  Should  there 
be  patches  of  the  grouud  uncovered,  the  fine  particles  of 
the  soil  become  disintegrated  by  the  beating  of  the  rain, 
and,  adhering  to  the  plant,  are  shaken  off  when  fed,  and 


WEEDS    WITH     PEAIEIE     HAY.  355 

carried  with  the  air  into  the  lungs.  My  objection  to  prairie 
hay  is,  the  tendency  to  produce  costiveness  ;  and  if  much 
of  it  is  fed,  you  will  always  notice  that  the  excrements  are 
hard,  and  of  a  dark  color.  Of  the  three  varieties  I  have 
mentioned,  the  kind  that  would  seem  the  least  fitted  for 
nourishment  I  am  satisfied  is  the  best,  viz  :  the  large 
blue-joint.  I  have  noticed  that  stock  kept  on  that  have 
been  invariably  in  the  best  condition,  and  the  farmers 
who  lived  on  the  margin  of  the  Maquoketa  bottom,  and 
who  wintered  large  herds  of  cattle  on  this  alone,  had  their 
animals  in  better  plight  in  the  spring,  than  the  dwellers 
on  the  prairie  who  fed  the  finer  kinds  and  added  a  pro- 
portion of  grain.  Some  of  this  prairie  hay  has  a  delightful 
fragrance  ;  this  and  the  bright  green  color  it  displays  in 
midwinter,  have  led  people  to  place  too  high  an  opinion 
on  its  nutritive  qualities.  There  is  frequently  a  weed 
mixed  with  this  hay  that  I  am  certain  is  injurious.  It  is 
called  resin-weed,  from  a  similarity  of  taste  and  smell  to 
that  substance.  It  is  a  very  powerful  diuretic,  and  as  it  is 
eaten  with  avidity,  it  cannot  fail  to  do  harm.  Some 
ascribed  the  immunity  from  heaves  to  this  ingredient,  and 
extracts  were  made  and  recommended  as  a  specific  for 
most  of  the  diseases  of  the  throat  and  lungs.  I  have 
known  two  horses  injured  from  giving  them  this  extract, 
and  have  no  doubt  that  others  have  been  rendered  worth- 
less from  partaking  of  it  in  its  natural  and  less  powerful 
form.  There  are  undoubtedly  other  plants  cut  with  the 
hay  that  are  not  proper  for  a  horse  to  eat,  and  so,  to  be  sure 
that  I  do  not  give  any  of  them,  I  would  refrain  from 
feeding  the  hay  that  contained  them. 

PRECEPTOR. — Here  is  a  table  of  the  relative  value  of  hay 
and  other  foods,  compiled  from  experiments  in  France 
and  Germany : — 


358  HOESE    POETBAITURE. 


ONE  HUNDKED  POUNDS  OF  GOOD  HAY  IS  EQUAL  IN   NOURISHMENT  TO 


400  ft,  of  green  clover. 

275  ft>  of  green  Indian  corn. 
374  ft,  of  wheat  straw. 

443  ft>  of  rye  straw. 
195  ft>  of  oat  straw. 
400  ib  of  dried  stalks  of  Indian  corn. 

276  ft>  of  carrots. 
54  ft)  of  rye. 


45  ft>  of  wheat. 
54  ft,  of  barley. 
59  ft,  of  oats. 
57  ft,  of  Indian  corn. 
62  ft,  of  sunflower  seeds. 
69  Ib  of  linseed  cake. 
105  ft,  of  wheat  bran. 
83  ft>  of  dried  oak  leaves. 


This  table  was  the  result  of  experiments  conducted  by 
the  most  eminent  scientific  agriculturists,  and  can  be  relied 
on  as  correct,  as  far  as  such  things  can  be  proven.  I  am 
at  a  loss  to  know  what  is  meant  by  the  "  dried  stalks  of 
Indian  corn."  If  they  were  divested  of  the  blades,  I  would 
have  thought  them  of  no  value,  and  with  the  leaves  on,  they 
would  not  be  so  much  inferior.  Some  trainers  are  so 
particular  as  to  stem  the  corn  blades  when  feeding  them, 
but  I  think  that  is  unnecessary.  Neither  can  I  recommend 
the  adoption  of  the  plan  of  pulling  hay,  as  it  strips  off  the 
leaves,  which  are  the  most  nutritive  portions.  The  hay 
ought  to  be  well  shaken  up,  tossing  it  lightly  with  a  fork, 
which  will  free  it  from  dust  as  effectually  as  the  boys  do 
by  twitching  it  through  hands  that  have  been  just  picking 
up  the  droppings,  and  which  must,  in  a  measure,  conta- 
minate the  hay,  and  make  it  less  agreeable  to  the  nice 
discriminating  taste  of  the  horses. 

The  time  for  feeding  the  hay  is  after  the  morning  and 
evening  exercise,  and  the  amount  must  be  regulated  to  the 
requirements  of  each  horse.  There  are  those  that  will 
eat  so  much  as  to  be  totally  unfit  for  fast  work,  while 
others  are  benefited  by  coaxing  them  to  eat  all  they  can. 
A  heavy  carcased,  craving  animal  would  distend  himself 
with  hay  if  allowed,  till  he  would  be  in  no  better  plight 
for  rapid  exertion  than  a  fat  alderman,  who  had  just  dined 
on  turtle  soup,  roasted  venison,  with  a  bottle  or  two  of 


VAEIETY     OF     FOOD.  357 

heavy  port.  The  light-waisted,  delicate,  finely  organized 
animal  never  eats  or  drinks  too  much,  requiring  manage- 
ment to  induce  him  to  take  more  sustenance  than  he 
otherwise  would.  The  grain  that  ninety  horses  in  every 
hundred  are  fed  with,  when  in  training,  is  oats,  and  when 
bran  and  corn  are  added,  the  variety  is  complete  in  a  still 
greater  proportion.  Oats  are  to  the  horse  what  bread  is 
to  man,  "  the  staff  of  life  ;"  though,  I  believe,  other  articles 
of  diet  can  be  used  advantageously.  As  I  have  remarked 
before,  oats  have  more  husk  than  any  other  grain,  causing 
them  to  weigh  less,  according  to  the  bulk,  than  any  of 
those  in  common  cultivation.  That  this  is  an  advantage, 
in  some  cases,  will  be  admitted,  as  when  the  stomach  re- 
quires more  distension  than  the  hay  fed  gives  ;  and  should 
we  change  a  horse's  feed  from  twelve  quarts  of  oats  a  day 
to  half  that  amount  of  corn,  wheat  or  barley,  the  change 
would  necessitate  an  increase  in  the  quantity  of  hay  used. 
A  majority  of  horses  can  be  brought  into  good  condition 
by  using  oats  alone,  though  I  find  that  "  order  "  is  acquired 
more  readily,  when  I  use  other  articles  of  food  in  combina- 
tion with  them.  There  is  an  improvement  in  the  health 
of  man  by  using  different  kinds  of  aliment,  and  this  rule 
will  also  hold  good  in  the  management  of  horses — fast 
work  requiring  scrupulous  care,  neither  to  overload  the 
stomach,  nor  place  articles  in  it  that  are  not  nutritious. 
Thus  we  cannot  avail  ourselves  of  a  change  that  might 
ultimately  benefit  the  health,  if  not  compatible  with  these 
considerations.  This  may  appear  paradoxical,  yet  it  is 
nevertheless  true.  What  Leibig  calls  the  "  plastic  elements 
of  nutrition,"  consisting  of  substances  abounding  in  nitro- 
gen, must  be  combined  with  a  sufiicient  quantity  of  carbon 
— one  to  form  blood  with  the  proper  constituents  to 
promptly  repair  the  daily  waste  of  the  tissues,  and  the  other 
to  create  heat  and  assist  the  respiration.  There  is  nearly 
as  much  nitrogen  in  oats  as  any  other  grain,  being  only 

16 


358  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

one-tenth  of  one  per  cent,  less  than  wheat,  while  there  is 
fifty-one  per  cent,  of  carbon,  wheat  having  forty-six  per 
cent.  Oats  having  been  found  superior  to  any  other  grain 
for  the  food  of  horses  when  working  fast,  it  is  fair  to  infer 
that  the  proportion  of  nitrogen  and  carbon  in  this  grain 
is  the  best. 

Without  doubt,  the  grain  used  in  the  analyses  I  have 
quoted,  was  of  the  very  best  quality,  and  from  the  results 
of  experiments  in  England,  where  the  oats  are  better  and 
heavier  than  here,  shows  more  nutritive  qualities  than 
ours  would.  I  have  seen  oats  that  looked  plump  weigh 
only  twenty-eight  pounds  to  the  bushel,  and  I  have  used 
those  that  weighed  upwards  of  forty  pounds.  It  will 
readily  be  granted  that  a  horse  would  require  more  quarts 
of  the  first,  and  he  will  also  want  more  pounds  of  them  to 
obtain  the  same  nutriment,  the  lighter  ones  having  so 
much  thicker  husks.  Good  oats  are  an  absolute  necessity, 
and  unless  they  possess  the  qualities  requisite,  we  will  be 
unable  to  get  a  horse  in  proper  condition.  I  have  stated 
before,  that  they  ought  to  be  heavy,  two  years  old,  and 
remain  in  the  stack  long  enough  to  sweat  before  they  are 
put  in  the  bin.  They  will  sweat  there  again,  and  every 
year  they  are  kept  they  go  through  this  process,  which  is 
probably  the  reason  why  old  oats  are  so  much  better  than 
new  ones.  To  detect  niustiness,  breathe  on  them,  as  I 
directed  for  the  hay.  Observe  closely,  to  notice  whether 
they  have  sprouted  while  in  the  shock  or  stack.  You  will 
discover  in  this  case  the  dried  germ  still  adhering  to  the 
kernel.  See  that  there  is  no  foreign  substances  mixed 
with  them,  as  seeds  of  weeds,  gravel,  dirt,  &c.,  &c. 

Poor  corn  is  easier  told  than  inferior  oats.  The  ears 
should  be  bright,  the  kernels  solid  and  plump,  and  on 
breaking  the  ear  there  should  be  no  dampness  or  mold. 
The  other  articles  needed,  as  bran,  linseed  meal,  oat  meal, 
sago,  &c.,  &c.,  it  is  needless  to  say,  should  be  of  the  very 


NUMBEE     OF     FEEDS.  359 

best.  There  is  only  one  use  I  have  for  sago,  making 
gruels  for  horses  that  have  become  feverish,  and  are 
"baked,"  as  the  grooms  say.  Their  coats  are  dry  and 
have  lost  their  lustre,  and  the  perspiration  that  should 
follow  their  work  does  not  take  place.  Sago  gruels, 
acidulated  drinks,  with  a  reduction  of  their  work,  will 
generally  effect  a  cure,  unless  the  cause  is  disease  which 
will  require  the  attendance  of  the  veterinarian.  I  have 
changed  my  system  of  feeding  from  what  I  formerly 
practiced,  in  relation  to  the  frequency  with  which  I  give 
the  meals.  When  I  commenced  training,  six  feeds  in  the 
twenty-four  hours  was  thought  necessary.  After  a  while 
I  tried  five,  and  thought  I  observed  a  benefit  from  the 
curtailment,  and  now  I  am  satisfied  that  four  feeds  a  day 
are  better  than  to  have  them  come  closer  together.  The 
amount  conveyed  to  the  stomach  requires  time  to  digest 
before  it  is  replenished,  and  four  hours  is  a  short  enough 
space  for  the  food  to  undergo  this  process.  I  also  like  to 
have  the  stomach  distended  so  as  to  increase  the  muscular 
strength  of  this  organ,  which  would  not  be  the  case  if 
smaller  quantities  were  given  with  greater  frequency.  To 
perform  its  functions  properly  the  stomach  must  have 
intervals  of  work  and  repose,  proper  exercise  being  as 
essential  to  keep  it  in  vigor  as  for  any  other  part  of  the 
anatomy.  Our  feeds  coming  at  five  and  ten  o'clock  A.  M., 
and  three  and  seven  P.  M.,  will  only  be  varied  in  those 
horses  that  cannot  have  their  fast  work  given  between  the 
first  and  second  feeds.  The  time  it  takes  the  horses  to 
eat  their  hay  in  the  evening,  will  leave  them  about  eight 
hours  for  repose,  which  is  none  too  much. 

PUPIL. — Do  you  think  sago  preferable  to  green  food  for 
inducing  perspiration  in  horses  that  are  "  burned "  ?  I 
have  had  great  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  allowing  a  horse  to 
eat  plentifully  of  grass,  green  corn  blades,  &c.,  when  in 
that  fix. 


360  HOESE     POETEAITUEE. 

PRECEPTOR. — As  a  preventive,  I  would  prefer  grazing 
alone,  but  when  the  horse  has  become  burnt,  I  would  rather 
combine  it  with  sago.  When  the  system  has  become 
feverish  the  sago  gruels,  taking  the  place  of  water  alone, 
have  always  proved  beneficial  with  me.  Yet  if  I  had  to 
forego  the  use  of  sago  or  green  food,  I  would  not  hesitate 
an  instant  in  discarding  the  first,  and  give  the  latter  the 
preference  over  everything  else,  as  an  adjunct  to  correct 
the  injuries  arising  from  fast  work,  and  for  the  diet  of 
horses  in  training.  If  a  horse  is  allowed  to  graze  for  half 
an  hour,  twice  or  three  times  a  week,  and  his  work  and 
food  are  judiciously  given,  there  will  ve.ry  seldom  be  any 
necessity  for  demulcent  drinks,  excepting  when  sweating, 
or  after  giving  extra  work,  as  in  a  trial  qr  race.  The 
succulent  herbage  will  do  away  with  the  necessity  for 
giving  so  many  bran-mashes,  which  I  do  not  regard  with 
the  favor  that  many  do.  I  use  them,  but  not  with  the 
frequency  of  many  of  my  aquaintances,  trusting  to  the  more 
natural  food,  which  has  never  failed  me  yet  in  doing  what 
I  expected.  It  will  not  do  to  give  it  at  particular  stages 
of  the  training,  as  there  are  times  when  one  requires  the 
system  to  be  "  keyed  up  "  to  the  highest  tone.  Then  only 
the  most  nutritious  food  is  admissible.  An  eminent 
veterinary  writer  remarks  of  green  food,  that  "wounds 
heal  more  kindly,  inflammatory  diseases  are  not  so  fatal, 
and  chronic  diseases  frequently  abate,  or  they  entirely 
disappear  under  the  use  of  grass.  The  horse,  however,  is 
always  soft  when  fed  much  on  green  food.  He  sweats  a 
great  deal,  and  is  soon  exhausted  with  his  work."  Our 
aim,  therefore,  should  be  to  feed  enough  and  at  proper 
times  to  obtain  the  benefit  of  its  medicinal  properties, 
without  going  far  enough  to  debilitate  the  animal  by  too 
free  and  frequent  a  use. 

PUPIL. — You  would  advise  grazing,  rather  than  cutting 
the  grass  and  conveying  it  into  the  stall  ? 


NEW     WAY     TO  EXEKCISE  HORSES.       361 

PRECEPTOR. — At  this  season  of  the  year  I  much  prefer 
the  animal  to  pick  it  himself.  He  chooses  that  which 
suits  him  the  best,  and  there  are  no  flies  to  annoy  him. 
In  extremely  hot  weather,  or  when  the  flies  have  become 
troublesome  or  in  the  fall,  when  the  juices  are  diminished, 
I  would  give  it  in  the  stable. 

PUPIL. — Why,  I  know  a  man  who  took  advantage  of  the 
flies  to  assist  him  in  exercising.  Last  July  and  August 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  rain,  making  the  track  and  roads 
very  muddy.  This  man  had  a  couple  of  promising  colts, 
and  during  this  muddy  time  he  would  tie  them  in  a  small 
yard  for  two  or  three  hours  every  day,  and  let  them 
"  fight  flies  "  by  way  of  exercise.  He  told  me  this  himself, 
and  took  much  credit  for  the  invention. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  wish  I  could  have  tied  him  in  an  Arkansas 
swamp,  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  let  the  gallinip- 
pers  and  musquitoes  make  him  dance  to  the  music  of 
their  shrill  pipes.  If  his  treatment  in  other  particulars 
was  akin  to  this,  he  must  have  ruined  his  colts. 

PUPIL. — He  was  at. first  very  successful  in  developing 
their  speed,  and  a  month  or  two  previous  I  thought  the 
two  colts  were  the  best  I  had  ever  seen.  But  the  fly  ex- 
periment was  not  a  successful  one,  as  they  could  not  trot 
as  fast  in  the  fall  as  they  did  in  the  early  part  of  the 
season  ;  but  there  were  other  points  in  his  treatment 
fully  as  inimical  to  improvement  as  the  one  I  have 
mentioned. 

PRECEPTOR. — If  he  had  other  notions  similar  to  that,  it 
was  no  wonder,  though  I  have  seen  men  that  knew  very 
little  of  training  very  fortunate  in  obtaining  speed  from 
horses.  This  is  no  argument  against  trying  to  learn  all  we 
can,  but  only  shows  what  fortuitous  circumstances  will 
accomplish.  It  will  now  occupy  the  remaining  time  for 
you  to  get  through  with  the  colts  you  have  to  drive  this 
afternoon.  I  may  be  here  in  a  day  or  two,  and  perhaps 


HOKSE    FORTH AITUBE. 

not  before  the  end  of  the  week.  I  believe  you  know  wnat 
to  do  in  the  interim,  and  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  any 
commands,  as  I  want  to  see  how  you  will  get  along  by 
yourself.  There  is  nothing  like  proving  theory  by 
practice,  and  nothing  will  improve  an  individual  like 
having  to  depend  on  himself. 

PUPIL. — I  feel  much  more  confidence  in  myself,  which 
is  one  point  gained,  and  I  hope  that  I  can  go  along  in  a 
manner  that  will  justify  my  self-laudation.  Before  you 
go,  I  would  like  to  know  if  there  is  any  difference  to  be 
observed  in  giving  the  horses  their  water. 

PBECEPTOK. — When  you  finish  driving,  and  the  horse  is 
unharnessed,  give  him  a  swallow  or  two  of  water,  to 
moisten  the  lips,  throat  and  tongue,  and  after  he  has  been 
clothed  and  taken  out  to  walk,  give  a  few  swallows  more, 
finishing  with  the  usual  quantity  at  feeding  time.  I  have 
also  changed  from  former  practices  in  this  respect.  My 
custom  was  to  "  walk  the  water  into  a  horse,"  by  keeping 
a  bucket  at  the  walking  ring,  and  every  few  minutes  giv- 
ing a  portion  of  it,  till  the  fifteen  minutes'  walk  and  the 
water  came  to  an  end  at  the  same  time.  I  think  it  is  a 
better  plan  to  wait  till  the  circulation  is  quieter,  before  the 
stomach  has  much  fluid  put  into  it.  We  will  give  the 
subject  of  drink  our  attention  hereafter,  when  we  will 
have  more  time  to  discuss  it.  In  the  brush  you  give 
Never  Mind  to  morrow,  do  not  exceed  three  hundred 
yards.  Watch  May's  action  very  closely,  so  as  to  report 
any  changes,  and  should  any  of  them  show  any  symptoms 
of  rebellion,  treat  them  with  increased  kindness. 


OHAPTEE    XXV. 

WESTERN   CHARACTER — TROTTING  IN  SNOW — DIRECTIONS  FOR 
WATERING. 

PRECEPTOR. — Good  day,  scholar.  You  will  perceive  I 
have  dropped  in  in  time  for  dinner,  which,  I  am  free  to 
acknowledge,  will  come  very  acceptable.  I  have  "occasion," 
and  shall  do  justice  to  the  good  cheer  your  hostess  always 
prepares  for  us.  I  will  also  admit  that  the  "pleasures  of 
hope"  are  likely  to  be  fully  realized,  as  I  anticipated 
"blowing  a  cloud"  with  you,  for  I  find  no  other  cigars  the 
equals  of  those  Principes. 

PUPIL. — I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  and  better  pleased 
that  you  have  timed  your  visit  just  as  you  have,  when  we 
can  have  a  good  talk  without  being  interrupted  with  the 
driving.  Please  to  step  into  my  room,  as  I  have  another 
evidence  of  Western  liberality  to  show  you. 

PRECEPTOR. — True  enough,  you  have  a  goodly  "lay  out," 
and  I  would  suppose,  from  the  exhibition  of  this 
paraphernalia,  that  you  have  foregone  your  strict  tem- 
perance principles,  and  become  a  votary  of  the  vine-clad, 
jolly  god,  as  well  as  a  disciple  of  the  Indian  weed. 

PUPIL. — I  have  no  intention  of  indulging  in  any  of  these 
enticements,  and  my  vow  of  strict  total  abstinence  from 
spirits,  wine,  or  beer,  is  no  more  likely  to  be  broken  than 
if  this  nectar  were  a  hundred  miles  off.  But  test  it,  fill 
up  a  bumper  of  what  you  like  the  best ;  I  will  warrant  it 


364  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

of  the  true  quality,  and  after  you  have  imbibed,  will  read 
you  a  letter  that  accompanied  it. 

PRECEPTOR. — "  That  good  wine  needs  no  bush,"  is  an  old 
and  true  adage.  I  hardly  ever  drink  till  after  dinner,  and 
do  not  feel  capable  of  giving  an  opinion  that  would  be 
worthy  of  much  weight,  but  that  brandy  I  took  the  thim- 
bleful of  is  as  smooth  as  oil,  and  nearly  as  fragrant  as  the 
breath  of  the  morning. 

PUPIL. — I  want  you  to  try  a  bottle  of  that  sherry  at 
dinner.  If  you  praise  the  odor  of  the  brandy,  you  will  be 
completely  carried  away  with  the  aroma — but  the  letter 
will  say  better  than  I  what  needs  to  be  said: — 

"  CHICAGO,  June  1st,  18 — . 

"  MY  DEAK  FRIEND. — Having  a  little  spare  time  on  my 
hands,  I  thought  I  would  acquaint  you  with  what  is  going 
on  in  this  tight  little  town.  No  doubt  Hod  keeps  you 
much  better  posted  on  all  pertaining  to  horses  and  other 
&c's,  of  which  he  is  so  good  a  judge;  but  there  are  things 
of  which  I  know  a  little  myself,  and  which  I  could  not 
help  bringing  to  your  notice.  In  this  country  where  the 
air  is  clear,  and  no  salt  vapors  borne  on  every  breeze,  a 
man  can  keep  healthy  as  easy  as  a  horse.  All  that  he  has 
to  do  is  to  eat,  drink,  laugh,  and  take  his  share  of  exercise 
to  get  along  first-rate.  But  down  where  you  are  now, 
there  is  a  vast  difference.  The  sea  fogs  and  the  sea  winds 
penetrate  everything,  and  a  man  can  no  more  be  healthy 
without  a  drop  to  repel  these  insinuating  ocean-bred 
vapors,  than  a  man  can  keep  warm  in  his  shirt  sleeves 
when  the  wind  blows  from  off  the  lake.  So  I  send  you  a 
variety  of  my  very  best,  and  if  you  are  still  too  obstinate 
to  take  it  in  moderation  yourself,  for  the  sake  of  the 
reputation  of  your  Western  friends,  treat  your  visitors  with 
more  respect  than  only  to  be  shoving  one  of  John  E.'s  re- 
galias at  them,  without  a  drop  to  moisten  their  palates, 
which  would  make  smoking  endurable.  Surely,  men  can- 


LETTEE  FEOM  CHICAGO.        365 

fcot  smoke  all  the  while,  and  what  would  you  have  them 
do  when  listening  to  your  long-winded  stories  about 
horses,  and  pedigrees,  harnesses,  and  bits,  if  they  have 
nothing  but  a  trumpery  cigar  to  suck  at  ?  Why  didn't 
you  stop  when  you  went  through,  and  lay  in  a  supply  ?  as 
I  have  no  doubt  we  have  all  suffered  from  their  taking 
you  for  a  specimen  of  Western  horsemen.  Mind,  they  do 
not  know  you,  and  will  ascribe  to  penuriousness  what 
your  friends  are  aware  is  only  absence  of  mind,  and  not 
thinking  of  the  wants  of  others.  You  talk  about  the  com- 
fort of  smoking,  and  the  fine  sights  you  see  when  the 
cloud  is  curling  above  your  nostrils.  Arrah  na  boclish, 
man !  there  is  more  comfort  in  a  whiskey  punch  of  a  cold 
night,  and  more  fine  imaginings  in  a  dozen  of  them,  than 
there  is  in  all  the  cigars  in  48  Dearborn  Street  put  to- 
getfyer.  I  see  you  are  likely  to  get  acquainted  with  Mr 
P.  I  know  he  is  of  the  real  sort ;  and  I  will  be  wonder- 
fully disappointed  if  he  gets  there  before  you  have  some 
thing  to  treat  him  decently  with.  Tell  him  that  sherry 
has  been  in  the  wood  for  fifteen-years,  and  that  I  bottled 
the  port  myself  the  same  length  of  time  ago.  It  is  now 
just  ripe,  and  he  must  on  no  account  leave  a  bottle,  as  ifc 
will  never  be  as  good  again.  Tell  the  old  man  not  to  be 
vexed,  that  I  have  sent  a  basket  of  champagne  for  Misses 
Jane  and  Susan  ;  and  I  believe  you  would  have  been 
omadhaun  enough  to  have  gone  to  the  races  at  Jerome 
Park  with  them,  and  never  have  thought  of  clapping  a 
few  bottles  in  the  carriage.  The  poetry  of  motion,  as  you 
call  it,  in  seeing  a  half  score  of  thoroughbreds  rattling 
over  a  dirty  track  is  rather  a  dry  sight ;  about  as  bad  as 
smoking  with  only  tasteless  water  to  wash  out  the  gout. 
If  you  had  only  seen  the  field  after  the  Galway  hounds, 
or  witnessed  a  steeple-chase  with  the  Montgomery's,  Lord 
Howth,  and  the  dirty  blackguard  Tom  Ferguson  in  it, !  such 
a  skrimmage  at  the  finish,  and  such  a  shouting  as  you 

16* 


3G6  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

never  can  hear  anywhere  else.  Ah !  that's  worth  all  your 
racing,  and  stirs  the  blood  equal  to  the  best  potheen. 
Well,  we  all  have  to  be  contented  with  trotters  in  this 
country.  The  two  sorrel  mares  are  doing  first  rate,  and 
with  Black  Dan  and  his  mate  I  can  give  Plowboy  and 
Fine  Cut  as  merry  a  chase  to  Hyde  Park  and  back  as 
they  want. 

"If  any  of  your  Eastern  acquaintances  are  coming  this 
way,  tell  them  to  step  into  112  Randolph  Street,  whenever 
anything  belonging  to  me  is  at  their  service,  and  Hod  and 
I  will  take  delight  in  showing  them  what  is  worthy  of 
seeing. 

"Don't  forget  to  get  a  sideboard,  and  keep  the  bottles 
always  in  sight.  Remember,  every  one  does  not  smoke, 
and  the  only  good  in  a  cigar  is  the  relish  it  gives  to  the 
drink.  There  is  no  use  in  hoping  that  you  will  follow 
sensible  advice  yourself ;  but  I  hope  that  your  pride  that 
the  character  of  the  West  does  not  suffer,  will  caution  you 
to  take  the  advice  of  your  friend." 

This  letter  is  a  fair  exemplar  of  the  character  of  my 
friend.  A  liberal  Irishman — he  has  had  Western  profu- 
sion grafted  on  the  kind  disposition,  till  he  not  only  wants 
to  see  his  friends  enjoying  themselves,  but  is  determined 
his  friend's  friends  shall  not  lack  for  comforts  if  he  can 
supply  them. 

I  will  now — before  we  take  dinner — give  you  a  history 
of  what  I  have  done  for  the  few  days  while  you  have  been 
gone.  I  have  followed  the  directions  as  nearly  as  I  could, 
and  have  only  varied  from  them  with  Delle.  With  her  I 
have  gone  on  the  road  every  day,  and  after  jogging  six  or 
eight  miles  have  returned  to  the  track,  and  speeded  her 
up  and  down  the  stretches.  Twice  she  has  worn  the  rat- 
tles, and  I  wish  you  had  been  here  to  see  her  go.  She  is 
going  to  overtake  May,  in  a  very  short  time.  She  bends 
her  knees  with  them  on  like  an  old  trotter,  and  in  place 


REPORT     OF     THE     HORDES.  367 

of  rushing  off  her  feet  in  a  hundred  yards,  will  go  the 
whole  length  of  the  stretch  without  breaking.  I  have 
prepared  Falcon  for  his  sweat  to-morrow,  and  intend  that 
Jane  and  Never  Mind  shall  go  through  the  same  opera- 
tion the  day  after.  Clipper  is  doing  very  finely;  there  has 
been  no  heat  in  his  legs,  and  less  swelling  than  when  I 
commenced  driving  him.  May's  action  has  undergone  a 
change  that  I  did  not  look  for,  having  lengthened  her 
stride,  and  she  goes  sweeping  through  the  stretch  a  good 
deal  like  her  sire.  Oriole  I  have  confined  to  very  short 
brushes  every  other  day,  when  I  have  let  her  spirt  off  for  a 
hundred  or  two  yards.  She  showed  no  symptoms  of  hitch- 
ing, One  of  the  little  boys  has  ridden  Mavourneen  along- 
side of  me  when  I  have  been  driving,  and  she  seems  bet- 
ter suited  to  the  saddle  than  the  harness.  They  are  all 
eating  well.  Not  one  of  them  but  is  anxious  for  the  feed- 
ing hour  to  come,  and  as  it  approaches,  are  all  agog  for 
their  rations.  Jane  works  as  kindly  as  when  you  saw  her. 
Once  she  appeared  a  little  fidgetty,  when  I  turned  her 
round,  going  the  reverse  way  of  the  track,  and  she  be- 
came as  sedate  as  I  wanted.  Should  she  continue  as 
docile  when  sweating,  I  do  not  think  we  will  have  any 
further  trouble  with  her. 

PRECEPTOR. — A  very  good  report,  only  that  you  should 
not  have  speeded  Delle  every  day.  Twice  a  week,  three- 
times  at  the  outside,  is  enough  for  a  horse  to  go  at  speed, 
and  then  the  distance  should  be  short.  The  instructions  I 
gave  you  about  driving  the  colts  were  not  meant  to  embrace 
her;  as  her  rate  of  going,  when  at  her  best  speed,  is  fast 
enough  to  work  injury  if  driven  every  day. 

PUPIL. — In  saying  that  I  drove  her  fast  every  day  up 
and  down  the  stretches,  I  did  not  mean  that  I  sent  her  at 
her  best  rate,  and  only  when  she  wore  the  rattles  did  I 
suffer  her  to  approach  it. 

PRECEPTOR. — That  is  better.    When  the  rattles  are  on,  it 


368  HOESE     POKTBAITUKE. 

is  necessary  to  let  the  horse  slide  along,  so  as  to  induce 
the  bending  of  the  knee,  which  will  enable  him  to  go  fast, 
and  thus,  by  associating  the  necessarily  higher  action  re- 
quired by  speed,  and  that  of  the  rattles  together,  the  ben- 
efit is  permanent.  I  have  known  a  horse's  knee  action 
improved  by  being  driven  in  deep  sand,  but  there  are  few 
horses  that  would  not  be  endangered  in  other  respects, 
which  would  not  be  compensated  for  by  the  acquirement 
of  better  action  in  their  knees. 

PUPIL. — Allonging  the  colts  in  a  deep,  light  snow,  has  a 
good  effect  in  increasing  the  bending  of  their  knees,  and 
I  am  in  the  habit  of  practicing  them  through  the  winter 
whenever  a  suitable  time  comes.  I  have  seen  colts  that 
did  not  exhibit  anything  of  a  trotting  gait  when  running 
in  the  pasture  field,  but  on  a  fall  of  snow  take  to  trotting 
through  it  in  a  manner  that  could  not  be  excelled.  A 
neighbor  of  mine  bred  three  colts,  which  I  purchased  when 
they  were  yearlings.  They  were  by  the  Falcon,  and  their 
dams  were  half-bred.  The  one  from  the  fastest  trotting 
mare  disappointed  me  greatly.  He  did  not  seem  to  have 
the  faculty  of  bending  his  knees  at  all  when  trotting,  and 
would  shuffle  along  at  that  gait,  turning  his  feet  out ;  the 
whole  motion  appearing  to  be  confined  to  the  upper 
pastern  joint.  He  was  very  handsome  and  showed  a  good 
deal  of  breeding.  I  gave  him  to  a  friend  of  mine,  telling 
him  I  was  afraid  he  would  prove  an  exception  to  the  most 
of  his  relatives,  though  I  still  had  hopes  that  the  family 
charteristics  only  laid  dormant,  and  would  develop  them- 
selves in  time.  From  having  more  colts  than  I  could 
break,  he  was  suffered  to  run  till  after  he  was  five  years 
old,  before  he  had  a  harness  put  on  him.  The  winter 
previous,  the  snow  was  very  deep,  and  I  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  him  trot  through  it  with  no  fault  apparent 
in  his  action.  When  broken,  I  drove  him  on  a  sandy  road 
for  a  while,  and  in  less  than  two  months  he  could  trot 


SHEREY     BETWEEN     THE     HEATS.          369 

close  to  three  minutes;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  when  his 
training  is  resumed,  he  will  gain,  correspondingly  to  the 
work  he  gets. 

PRECEPTOR. — As  I  told  you  before,  I  have  not  looked  on 
the  'allonging  process  with  any  favor.  There  would  be  an 
advantage  attending  it,  however,  in  the  case  you  mention ; 
as  the  horse  would  neither  have  to  drag  nor  carry  weight, 
I  have  thought  that  the  excessive  bending  of  the  knee  of 
most  of  the  French  horses,  bred  in  Canada,  has  been  owing 
to  having  acquired  the  habit  by  being  driven  chiefly  when 
snow  was  on  the  ground,  and  should  that  be  the  case,  we 
may  look  for  improvement  in  those  deficient,  by  subjecting 
them  to  the  same  work,  or  something  analogous. 

PUPIL. — Dinner  is  now  ready.  Walk  in,  and  I  will  go 
up  stairs  after  the  bottle  of  sherry, — or  would  you  prefer 
port? 

PRECEPTOR. — No,  a  half  pint  of  sherry  is  the  most  3 
indulge  in  at  dinner,  and,  though  I  suppose  your  friend 
means  me  when  he  says  the  old  man,  I  am  not  old  enough 
to  prefer  the  heavy,  heady  port  to  the  more  agreeable, 
nutty-flavored  wine.  Sherry  is  the  only  alcoholic  or  vinous 
stimulant  that  I  ever  give  to  a  horse  between  the  heats  in 
a  race,  and  I  always  prefer  to  get  along,  if  possible,  with- 
out even  that.  When  it  is  given,  it  should  be  some  ten 
minutes  before  the  start  for  the  heat.  I  have  seen  men 
pour  it  down  just  as  the  horse  was  starting,  which  could 
do  no  good,  as  the  energy  it  gives  does  not  arise  tih1  the 
absorbents  have  time  to  take  it  into  the  system. 

PUPIL. — Do  not  be  offended  at  my  friend  calling  you  the 
old  man.  The  term  is  often  used  in  the  West  as  a  familiar 
manner  of  addressing  a  person  that  is  much 'thought  of, 
and,  my  life  on  it,  should  you  go  to  Chicago  and 
introduce  yourself  to  him,  you  would  be  treated  with  as 
much  respect  as  if  you  were  the  President,  and  in  place 
of  considering  you  as  an  old  man  that  needed  nursing, 


370  HORSE    POETRAITURE. 

you  would  require  the  stamina  and  vigor  of  youth  to 
undergo  the  round  of  pleasure-seeking  he  would  insist 
upon. 

PRECEPTOR. — Truly,  I  must  commend  his  taste  and  know- 
ledge of  wine.  I  never  drank  better  than  this,  and  the 
aroma  and  peach  flavor  combined  is  above  praise.  This 
will  completely  spoil  me  from  enjoying  what  we  ordinarily 
get,  and  1  am  inclined  to  think  you  have  happened  on  the 
very  best  bottle  there  is.  From  finding  my  taste  similar 
to  the  bon  vivants  of  my  acquaintance,  my  award  can  be 
accepted,  as  in  all  probability,  just ;  and  while  I  do  not 
want  you  to  neglect  the  donor's  advice  in  keeping  the 
bottles  always  in  sight,  never  set  this  before  any  one  unless 
you  are  sure  he  will  appreciate  it.  It  would  be  a  great 
pity  that  a  drop  should  be  wasted  by  going  down  the 
throats  of  those  who  cannot  tell  New  Jersey  cider  from 
Johamiesberger,  or  who  fancy  the  odor  of  "Night  Blooming 
Cereus"  is  equal  to  the  perfume  of  the  violet.  I  anticipate 
great  pleasure  in  meeting  those  of  your  "Western  friends, 
who  prove  the  falsity  of  the  idea  of  "out  of  sight,  out  of 
mind,"  and  whose  care  of  your  comfort  when  away  will 
be  sure  warrant  of  a  warm  welcome  when  we  get  on  your 
old  stamping  ground. 

PUPIL. — I  will  say  nothing  more  of  Western  character 
and  habits,  for  fear  I  may  over-estimate  them,  and  do 
injury  by  causing  you  to  look  for  perfections,  that  their 
universal  kindness  to  me  may  be  the  means  of  my  over- 
coloring.  Still,  I  will  wager  everything  I  own  against  a 
boy's  top,  that,  for  genuine  hospitality,  warm  friendships, 
and  a  desire  to  make  every  one  who  comes  in  their  sphere 
happy,  Western  people  cannot  be  excelled,  and  those  who 
have  a  fondness  for  the  horse,  racers  and  trotters,  are  the 
very  perfection  of  even  Western  manhood. 

PRECEPTOR. — We  ended  the  conversation,  when  I  was 
here  before,  by  a  few  remarks  on  watering  horses  in  train- 


ABOUT     WATER.  371 

ing.  "We  will  reconsider  it  previous  to  going  to  the  stable. 
The  quantity  of  this  fluid  should  be  as  closely  scrutinized 
as  that  of  the  food  we  give,  and  from  the  very  clearest 
holding  matter  in  solution  that  is  detrimental,  there  is 
danger  in  giving  water,  containing  these  properties,  even 
if  aware  of  it,  and  using  something  to  correct  the  bad 
effect.  Bain,  river  and  spring  water  are  the  kinds  in  use 
for  horses.  The  first,  if  it  receives  no  admixture  from  the 
roof  that  collects,  or  the  receptacle  that  receives  it,  is 
pure.  This  fact  has  led  many  to  believe  that  it  is  superior 
to  others  for  horses  in  training.  Without  absolutely  deny- 
ing that  to  be  the  case,  I  am  led  to  believe  that  "harder" 
water  may  be  equally  as  good,  and  perhaps  better  in  some 
instances.  When  we  find  the  osseous  framework  of  the 
horse  is  composed  of  material  which  water  sometimes 
holds  in  solution,  and  which  the  animal  has  to  obtain  from 
the  food  it  gets,  may  not  the  structure  be  easier  built,  or 
wants  repaired,  by  a  proportion  of  the  necessary  material 
being  contained  in  the  drink  ? 

I  have  seen  horses  in  like  good  condition  when  trained 
either  on  soft  or  hard  water,  and  more  danger  arises  in  a 
sudden  change  from  the  kind  accustomed  to,  if  even  the 
change  is  to  that  of  a  better  quality,  the  system  having 
adapted  itself  to  the  kind  in  use.  This  is  so  well  known 
that  we  frequently  see  a  supply  of  water  taken  with  a 
horse,  when  the  conveyance  has  been  a  good  deal  of 
expense  and  trouble  ;  and  this  is  often  used  as  a  very 
strong  argument  in  favor  of  rain  water.  If  cisterns  were  built 
by  the  various  tracks,  the  drink  would  be  identical,  and 
the  danger  of  a  change  done  away  with.  I  have  found  in 
my  practice  that,  when  circumstances  compelled  me  to  a 
change,  all  danger  was  obviated  by  adding  a  handful  of 
linseed  meal,  gradually  decreasing  it  as  the  use  of  the 
new  kind  was  continued.  I  can  hardly  give  satisfactory 
reasons  why  this  result  should  be,  only  that  the  mucilage 


372  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

defends  the  stomach  from  the  corrosion  of  foreign  matter, 
and  thus  neutralizes  its  effects.  Water  is  benefited  by 
being  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air,  and  when  using  from 
close  wells  or  covered  cisterns,  I  alway  allow  it  to  stand 
long  enough  to  change,  and  approach  nearer  the  tempe- 
rature of  the  atmosphere.  The  temperature  of  the  water 
is  also  of  importance,  and  while  at  times  that  of  the  blood  is 
the  proper  heat,  there  are  others  when  it  will  not  do  to  be 
the  least  tepid,  but  must  be  regulated  to  what  will  benefit 
the  horse  to  drink.  The  acidulating  of  water  by  the  use  of 
the  best  tartaric  acid,  I  have  found  beneficial,  as  in  the 
case  of  sweating  to  guard  against  fever;  and  some  horses 
acquiring  a  fondness  for  the  taste  of  it,  will  drink  when 
they  otherwise  would  not  touch  a  drop.  This  is  an  advan- 
tage in  the  case  of  light  feeders,  as  they  are  generally 
horses  that  drink  but  very  little,  and  if  we  can  coax  them 
to  imbibe  more  fluid,  their  appetite  will  be  increased  in  a 
proportinate  ratio,  and  better  condition  result. 

The  amount  that  each  horse  can  be  restricted  to  can 
only  be  told  by  careful  experiment,  and  the  mean  between 
an  inordinate  drinker,  and  one  whose  thirst  seems  easily 
satisfied,  would  be  a  proper  mark  to  guide  us.  I  have 
ound  in  both  cases  that  frequent  watering  is  the  best  plan. 
With  those  that  would  drink  too  much,  I  only  put  into 
the  bucket  the  amount  they  are  to  have,  and  not  being 
allowed  to  distend  themselves,  they  soon  become  accus- 
tomed to  the  restriction.  The  others  will,  perhaps,  not  drink 
at  all,  unless  the  bucket  is  full,  and  some  will  not  touch 
it  unless  it  is  set  down,  and  they  can  take  it  unobserved. 
The  same  caution  must  be  practiced  not  to  have  too  much 
water  in  a  horse's  stomach  before  his  fast  work  is  given,  as 
not  to  fill  it  with  grain  and  hay.  A  pailful  of  water,  given 
a  little  while  before  a  race,  will  effectually  stop  a  horse 
from  winning,  if  his  competitors  are  anywhere  near  him 
in  speed.  This  shows  that  exertion  is  impeded,  and  the 


SPONGIKG     THE     MOUTH.  373 

race  may  not  only  be  lost,  but  serious  injury  arise  from 
pushing  the  animal  to  do,  or  try  to  do,  more  than  he  can. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  plan  of  giving  horses  water  after 
their  work,  by  small  quantities  at  a  time,  while  they  are 
walking.  In  signifying  my  custom  of  following  another 
plan,  I  do  not  decry  this  entirely,  but  would  follow  it 
under  certain  circumstances,  as  when  delicate  horses  would 
drink  better  than  if  we  waited  till  the  expiration  of  the 
walk.  Horses  may  be  very  much  fatigued  after  a  hard 
race,  and  require  something  to  support  them  while  they 
are  taking  their  walk,  which  should  always  be  given  till 
the  tumult  in  the  blood  wholly,  or  at  least  partially,  sub- 
sides. A  few  swallows  of  water  are  very  refreshing,  but  not 
so  good  as  the  same  quantity  of  oatmeal  gruel;  or,  should 
a  horse  be  washy,  I  would  use  wheat  flour,  which  affords 
nourishment  as  well  as  refreshment.  We  often  see  a  great 
deal  of  fuss  made  sponging  and  washing  a  horse's  mouth 
and  nostrils  after  the  scoring  has  commenced.  Some 
grooms  pride  themselves  on  the  dexterity  with  which  they 
handle  the  sponge  and  bucket,  and  many  a  greenhorn 
watches  the  process  with  a  good  deal  of  awe,  considering 
it  has  much  to  do  with  the  horse's  going  fast.  On  a  very 
hot  day,  and  when  the  track  is  dusty,  it  is  essential  to  keep 
the  niouth  from  parching,  and  to  remove  the  dust  from  the 
nostrils.  When  these  are  accomplished,  further  swash- 
ings  are  unnecessary  ;  and  what  is  needless  is  wrong. 

We  will  go  to  the  stable,  and  as  you  are  getting  along 
so  well,  I  think  it  may  be  two  weeks  before  I  am  here 
again.  The  difference  you  should  observe  in  sweating  the 
Falcon  to-morrow  from  what  we  practiced  with  Never 
Mind,  is,  that  you  can  give  him  two  miles  more  work,  and 
you  need  not  keep  up  the  flow  as  long  as  we  did  with  the 
other.  The  pace  may  be  a  little  faster  and  the  clothing 
the  same.  Jane  can  be  treated  the  same,  using  every 
precaution  to  preserve  the  tranquillity  of  her  temper..  The 


374  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

second  day  after  sweating,  you  can  brush  the  two  horses, 
Never  Mind  nearly  the  length  of  the  stretch,  and  the  Fal- 
con two  brushes  of  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  each,  driving 
a  half  mile  at  a  good  round  pace  between  them.  Should 
Jane  be  willing  to  go  quietly  at  three-quarters  speed,  you 
can  let  her  go  half  a  mile  at  that  gait,  and  if  you  permit 
her  to  brush  at  all,  stop  her  the  moment  she  appears  exci 
ted.  The  morning  before  you  give  the  sweats,  you  can 
open  them  according  to  the  former  directions  I  gave. 
With  all  these  instructions  from  me,  there  will  be  a 
great  proportion  of  the  work,  of  which  you  will  have  to  be 
the  judge  when  you  are  giving  it.  But  for  the  ensuing 
two  weeks,  more  danger  will  arise  from  giving  too  much 
fast  work  than  not  enough.  The  slow  work  can  also  be 
overdone  as  well  as  the  other,  and  you  must  examine 
strictly  to  see  that  there  is  no  swelling  or  heat  in  any  of 
the  joints,  or  any  puffiness  above  the  pasterns  or  in  the 
hocks.  Your  horses  ought  to  go  to  their  work  in  a 
cheerful  spirit,  and  should  one  appear  dull,  shorten  his 
work  till  you  find  the  amount  he  will  undergo  without 
depression.  In  all  of  the  fast  work  you  give,  it  will  be 
preferable  that  they  do  not  go  at  their  very  topmost  rate, 
as  I  would  rather  they  did  not  break  until  they  were  in 
condition  to  stand  going  quite  a  distance.  Giving  horses 
lessons  that  will  accustom  them  to  make  good  breaks,  is 
often  very  tiring  and  trying  to  the  temper  of  biped  and 
quadruped,  and  if  the  horses  are  in  order  to  take  the 
work  without  the  injury  these  will  entail,  much  will  be 
gained. 

I  judge  by  the  time  I  have  fixed  to  visit  you  again,  the 
horses  will  bear  quite  an  increase  of  work,  and  you  can  be 
gradually  preparing  them  for  that  event,  by  giving  them 
what  you  deem  necessary,  and  by  enlarging  the  feed  of 
those  that  you  think  will  require  it.  In  making  additions 
to  the  feed,  add  to  the  ten  o'clock  and  to  the  last  in  the 


LESSORS     IN     BKEAKIKG.  375 

evening.  The  feeds  occuring  before  the  work,  cannot  Be 
materially  enlarged,  without  causing  over-fullness  in  the 
stomach  just  when  required  to  go  fast.  Clipper  should  be 
ready  for  his  first  sweat  by  the  time  I  come  back,  and  you 
need  make  no  change  in  his  preparation  from  that  of  Never 
Mind,  with  this  variation,  of  not  giving  quite  so  much 
walk,  which  his  legs  would  not  stand  without  injury.  I 
have  mentioned  that  I  would  prefer  them  not  to  break 
for  a  time  yet,  and  the  only  way  you  can  keep  them  from 
doing  that,  is  to  leave  quite  a  margin  between  the  pace 
you  go  and  their  best  rate.  Horses  will  break  when  not 
near  up  to  their  fastest  gait.  Yet  you  will  find  them  easier 
controlled,  than  when  hurried  off  their  legs  by  endeavor- 
ing to  have  them  trot  faster  than  they  can.  I  have  known 
many  horses  that  would  "jump  up"  when  going  moder- 
ately fast,  that  were  honest  as  could  be  when  going  at  full 
speed.  The  great  part  of  the  education  of  trotters  is  to 
teach  them  to  go  without  breaking,  and  when  they  do 
break,  to  be  able  to  recover  therefrom  without  the  loss  of 
much  ground.  These  lessons  however,  must  be  given  as 
much  as  is  possible  when  the  body  is  in  condition  to 
endure  extra  fatigue;  and,  necessary  as  they  are,  we  shall 
gain  by  waiting  until  we  can  give  them  safely.  These  re- 
marks will  only  apply  to  the  old  horses,  ^ith-the  colts,  now 
is  the  time  to  teach  them  a  good  system  of  breaking.  The 
first  lessons  are  of  great  importance,  and  if  you  succeed 
in  making  good  breakers  of  them  now,  it  will  take 
very  bad  handing  hereafter  to  spoil  them  in  this  re- 
spect. 

Every  morning  before  you  commence  work,  examine 
critically  the  condition  of  the  horses'  feet.  Observe  if  they 
stand  squarely  on  them  in  the  stable,  and  see  that  there 
are  no  loose  shoes,  clinches  raised,  or  breaking  of  the 
horn.  The  replacing  of  a  broken  nail  may  save  a  shoe 
coming  off,  and,  perhaps,  tearing  part  of  the  foot  with 


376  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

it.  Notice  the  boys  when  they  are  cleaning  out  the  dirt 
from  the  sole,  frog,  and  under  the  shoe.  The  less  they 
use  the  foot  hook,  the  better,  depending  on  the  water 
and  brush  to  clean  out  the  fissures  between  the  bar  and 
the  frog,  and  the  clefts  between  the  bulbs  of  it.  Tear- 
ing away  at  the  foot  with  the  picker  interferes  with  the 
healthy  state  of  the  sole,  which  I  find  is  better  by  leav- 
ing is  as  much  undisturbed  as  we  can,  and  the  ragged 
portions  of  the  frog,  which  the  boys  are  so  anxious  to  pull 
off,  cannot  be  removed  without  bringing  with  them  parts 
that  ought  to  remain. 

PUPIL. — How  would  you  arrive  at  the  correct  knowledge 
of  the  quantity  of  water  a  horse  ought  to  have,  in  one 
that  was  inclined  to  drink  too  much,  and  had  to  be  re- 
stricted ? 

PEECEPTOR. — By  gradually  decreasing  the  amount ;  and 
as  long  as  he  looked  and  fed  well,  there  could  be  no  injury. 
But  if  the  restriction  produced  a  decline  of  appetite,  it 
would  show  that  the  system  required  more  fluid  than  he 
was  getting,  and  the  quantity  would  have  to  be  increased. 
Habit  has-a  great  deal  to  do  with  this,  as  in  everything  else, 
and  the  force  of  custom  alone  may  lead  a  horse  to  drink 
more  than  he  needs.  When  the  plan  is  followed  of  allow- 
ing horses  to  drink  from  a  trough  in  a  yard,  or  a  running 
stream  or  pond,  the  amount  of  water  can  be  only  guessed 
at,  and  is  a  way  of  preceding  that  I  do  not  favor.  When 
adopted,  the  capacity  of  swallowing  ought  to  be  found  out 
by  observing  the  number  of  swallows  a  horse  takes  in 
drinking  a  certain  quantity  of  water,  so  that  we  can  tell 
about  what  he  has  taken  when  thus  watered.  There  is  a 
great  difference  in  the  swallowing  capacity  among  horses. 
Some  of  them  will  empty  a  three-gallon  bucket  in 
forty  swallows,  while  others  will  require  seventy  or  eighty 
"go  downs"  for  the  same  amount.  As  in  the  case  of  ring 
watering,  I  would  only  allow  a  horse  to  drink  from  a 


DEPARTURE.  377 

trough,  stream,  or  pond,  when  he  could  not  be  induced  to 
drink  as  well  from  the  pail.  This  remark,  of  course  only 
applies  to  those  who  do  not  drink  water  enough,  and  re- 
quire to  be  humored  to  induce  them  to  take  it. 

I  will  now  take  my  depature,  having  full  confidence  that 
on  my  return  I  will  find  your  horses  looking  and  doing 
well,  should  no  accident  happen  to  interfere  with  your 
management. 


CHAPTEE  XXYI. 

CUTTING  THE   QUARTERS — APPEARANCE  OP  HORSES  WHEN  EN 

CONDITION — THE  MODEL  FORM  FOR  A  HORSE — THE  BRAIN 

THE  GREAT  RESERVOIR  OF  POWER. 

PRECEPTOR. — Why !  what  is  the  matter  ?    You  have  as 
rueful  a  look   as   the  Knight  of  the    Sorrowful  Coun 
tenance. 

PUPIL. — I  have  met  with  the  first  bad  luck  I  have  had 
this  season.  Never  Mind  has  cut  his  quarter  badly. 

PRECEPTOR. — It  would  have  been  a  great  deal  worse  it 
he  had  struck  his  knee.  It  is  rather  a  bad  wound,  and  I 
am  surprised  he  could  do  it  with  the  shoes  he  is  wearing. 
Get  some  strong  linen  or  cotton  cloth,  and  tear  it  into 
strips,  a  couple  of  inches  wide.  Hand  me  that  bottle  of 
fir-balsam,  and  we  will  see  if  we  cannot  repair  the  dam- 
age. Wash  the  wound  out  clean  with  tepid  water.  Now 
we  will  draw  it  close  together,  and,  after  applying  the 
bandages  for  two  or  three  thicknesses,  cover  them  with  the 
balsam,  again  wrapping  them  over  the  coronet  until  we  get 
several  folds,  which  will  completely  exclude  the  air  and 
moisture.  The  flesh  of  a  horse,  in  the  condition  that 
Never  Mind  now  is,  will  heal  very  readily,  and  I  should 
not  be  surprised  if  this  heals  by  the  first  intention,  as  the 
doctors  term  it.  I  have  had  worse  cuts  than  this  get  well 
more  rapidly  than  I  would  have  thought  possible,  by  treat- 
ing them  after  this  simple  method.  An  impervious  coating 
is  fornled  that  protects  the  cut  from  dust  and  dirt;  and  nine 
times  in  ten,  if  applied  as  soon  as  the  injury  is  done,  it 


BAD     SHOEING.  379 

will  not  suppurate,  and  the  horse's  work  go  on  the  same 
as  if  he  had  not  been  hurt.  You  will  have  to  watch  that 
suppuration  does  not  take  place,  as,  in  that  case,  there 
will  have  to  be  an  outlet  for  the  matter.  You  will  detect 
it  from  increased  heat  in  the  foot,  and  the  horse  exhibit- 
ing pain  when  you  touch  it.  If  this  does  not  occur,  the 
bandage  must  not  be  disturbed,  until  time  enough  has 
elapsed  for  the  cure  to  take  place.  How  did  it  occur  ?  I 
was  in  hopes  to  have  got  home  before  you  had  driven  him, 
as  I  wanted  to  see  how  he  was  going ;  though,  from  hav- 
ing been  away  longer  than  I  intended,  I  presume  you 
thought  I  had  forsaken  you  entirely. 

PUPIL. — I  have  missed  you  very  much,  though  I  have 
had  extraordinary  good  fortune  till  this  accident  took 
place.  I  was  repeating  a  brush  I  had  given  'him  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  or  such  matter.  In  the  first,  he  came 
down  the  stretch  very  fast,  when  I  let  him  go  a  three- 
minute  gait  tiU  he  came  to  the  three-quarter  pole  again, 
and  on  clucking  to  him,  he  burst  off  at  a  tremendous  pace 
— I  am  confident  it  was  fast  enough  to  trot  in  twenty  or 
better — when  he  made  a  wild  break.  I  snatched  him 
rather  short,  and  the  consequence  was  that  cut. 

PRECEPTOR. — Pick  up  his  off  hind  foot;  the  shoe  must 
have  got  out  of  shape  to  inflict  so  much  damage,  as  I  never 
saw  the  shoe  he  is  wearing  do  more  than  bruise  the  quar- 
ter. How  is  this  ?  What  are  those  large-headed  nails  in 
for? 

PUPIL. — The  shoe  got  a  little  loose,  and  in  place  of  send- 
ing him  to  the  shop,  I  pulled  out  the  nails,  one  at  a  time, 
and  replaced  them  by  driving  these  in  the  same  holes.  I 
thought,  as  all  his  shoes  would  need  replacing  in  a  few 
days,  I  would  make  it  do  till  he  was  shod  ah1  around. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  hope  this  will  be  a  lesson  to  you,  that,  if 
you  contemplate  shoeing  your  horses,  you  will  first  learn 
to  be  a  blacksmith,  and  then  provide  yourself  with  proper 


380  HOESE    POKTEAITUKE. 

tools.  It  is  great  fortune  that  the  injury  has  not  been 
more  serious  than  it  is.  I  would  have  imagined  that, 
when  you  saw  these  nails  sticking  out  like  the  calkins  of 
a  cart  horse,  you  would  have  taken  the  rasp  and  filed 
them  off. 

PUPIL. — The  rasp  had  become  worn,  so  that  the  job 
would  have  been  very  tedious.  But  I  will  engage  that 
this  lesson  will  be  remembered,  and  if  I  ever  drive  a  nail 
in  a  horse's  foot  again,  I  will  observe  due  caution  that  the 
head  does  not  arise  above  the  fuller  in  the  shoe.  I  am 
very  glad  that  your  visit  came  so  apropos,  as  the  balsam 
dressing  is  new  to  me,  and  I  should  have  bound  it  up  with 
a  solution  of  copperas  and  whiskey. 

PRECEPTOK. — That  is  a  capital  application  for  ordinary 
flesh  wounds  in  a  horse,  and  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
anything  better,  though  for  a  recent  injury  to  the  coronet, 
we  want  something  that  will  support,  and  keep  the  parts 
in  adhesion.  You  must  have  commenced  early  this  morn- 
ing if  you  are  done  driving  all,  except  the  colts,  at  this 
time  of  the  day.  I  do  not  approve  of  taking  horses  out 
too  early,  and  would  much  rather  that  the  sun  should  be 
up  long  enough  to  dissipate  the  vapors  that  collect  during 
the  night. 

PUPIL. — For  the  last  week  the  weather  has  been  so  warm 
that  I  have  begun  earlier  than  we  formerly  practiced,  so 
as  to  have  the  older  horses  done  up  before  the  heat  of  the 
day.  I  have  driven  the  Falcon  first,  and  I  think  he 
enjoys  the  early  breath  of  the  morning,  and  will  welcome 
the  sun  as  it  makes  its  first  appearance  over  the  hills,  by 
signs  of  delight  as  unmistakable  as  though  he  had  the 
power  of  expressing  his  thoughts  in  words.  However,  I 
will  defer  taking  him  out  in  future  till  the  sun's  rays  fall 
more  askant.  Should  you  be  inclined  to  listen,  I  will  re- 
count what  I  have  done  for  the  three  weeks  you  have  been 
gone. 


APPEAKANCE     WHEN     IN     CONDITION.      381 

PRECEPTOK. — I  will  hear  your  story  shortly.  In  the  mean- 
time I  y/ant  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Falcon,  and  tender  him 
my  regards.  I  will  stay  with  you  until  after  the  horses 
are  all  worked  to-morrow,  when  I  can  give  a  better  idea 
of  how  they  have  done,  than  by  looking  at  them  in  the 
stalls.  This  noble  fellow  is  certainly  looking  as  well  as  he 
could.  There  is  an  elastic,  firm  feeling,  when  you  put 
your  hand  on  him,  that  shows  his  condition  is  more  for- 
ward than  the  "length  of  time  he  has  been  in  training 
would  lead  one  to  expect.  His  skin  is  as  pliant  as  the 
best  chamois  leather,  and  the  bloom  on  his  coat  betokens 
that  his  health  is  prime.  It  would  take  very  close  ex- 
amination to  detect  that  he  is  not  in  the  best  condition,  as 
to  the  hand  the  muscles  appear  well  seasoned,  and  he  has 
not  more  flesh  than  I  think  he,ought  to  carry.  The  crest 
is  a  little  thick  yet,  and  the  muscles  are  hardly  as  distinct 
as  they  will  be  after  a  few  more  sweats,  given  with  fast 
work.  These  will  fine  away  the  material,  now  partially 
hiding  them,  when  he  will  show  a  covering  that  will  emul- 
ate spring  steel  in  its  density,  and  quickness  of  recoil 
when  the  contraction  takes  place. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  to  determine,  from  the  appear- 
ance of  a  horse,  what  his  condition  is.  It  is  true  that 
horses  in  condition  have  a  similarity  of  appearance,  though 
condition  may  seem  to  be  there,  without  the  cor- 
responding capacity  to  perform.  The  trainer,  who  knows 
the  amount  of  work  the  horse  has  received,  is  the  best 
judge,  and  even  his  calculations  are  oftentimes  erroneous, 
as  the  result  of  many  a  race  has  proven.  One  thing  he 
should  be  "better  posted"  on  than  any  one  else  is,  the 
amount  of  flesh  the  horse  ought  to  carry,  and  he  must  not 
allow  his  judgment  to  be  changed  by  the  criticism  of  any 
one,  no  matter  how  able  he  may  be,  if  he  is  not  thorough- 
ly conversant  with  the  character  of  the  horse  before  him. 

When  horses  are  in  condition,  they  should,  in  a  great 
17 


382  HOKSE    POETEAITUEE. 

majority  of  cases,  have  a.  blooming  coat,  every  hair  in  its 
right  place,  glossy  and  shining  like  the  feathers  on  a 
pigeon's  neck.  The  muscles  should  be  prominent,  and,  being 
handled,  feel  hard  and  springy.  The  skin  should  be  loose, 
so  that  you  can  pull  it  away  from  the  flesh  for  quite  a  dis- 
tance, but,  when  released  from  the  grasp,  fly  back  like  a 
piece  of  rubber.  The  interstices  between  the  muscles 
should  show  distinctly,  which  gives  that  cordy  appearance, 
like  a  cable  made  of  wire.  The  legs  should  be  free  from 
swelling,  cool,  and  the  tendons  hard,  with  a  sharp  outline. 
The  joints  should  be  divested  of  everything  but  bone  and 
tendon,  the  skin  on  them  loose,  but  firm.  The  neck  is  a 
great  guide  in  determining  condition,  and  though  the 
large  muscles  running  from  the  shoulder  to  the  poll  have 
nothing  to  do  with  progression,  the  state  they  are  in  will 
be  a  guide  to  aid  us  in  arriving  at  the  condition  of  the 
other  parts.  The  windpipe  should  be  detached,  with  noth- 
ing to  hide  the  view  of  it,  to  where  it  enters  the  chest. 
Near  the  joining  of  the  head  it  ought  to  hang  loose,  show- 
ing three-quarters  of  its  circumference.  The  muscles  of 
the  neck  should  be  clearly  denned,  and  the  upper  one  that 
forms  the  crest,  should  rise  to  a  sharp  edge,  and  be  as 
hard  as  a  cut  nail.  This  sharpness  arises  from  the  ab- 
sorption of  the  fatty  matter  that  lies  immediately  below 
the  mane. 

The  great  index,  however,  is  the  eye,  and  though  the 
horse  may  have  all  the  appearance  of  condition  that  I  have 
imperfectly  noted,  if  the  eye  be  dull,  or  give  fitful  flashes 
of  animation  in  the  excitement  of  coming  on  to  the  track, 
he  will  surely  not  be  able  to  do  what  he  ought  to.  It  is 
very  hard  to  describe  the  appearance  of  the  eye  of  a  horse 
when  in  prime  condition,  as  the  natural  expression  varies 
as  much  as  those  of  the  human  family,  and  we  will  have 
to  be  well  acquainted  with  each  individual,  to  avail  our- 
selves of  this  as  a  criterion.  I  never  saw  a  horse  that  the 


APPEABANCE     OF     THE     EYE.  383 

brilliancy  of  the  eye  was  not  heightened  by  proper  train- 
ing. It  may  not  show  as  much  briskness,  as  there  is  a 
placid  look  acquired  which  might  deceive  you  at  the  first 
glance ;  but  as  you  look  again,  there  is  no  glassy,  unmean- 
ing stare,  and  you  look  down  into  the  clear  depths  till  you 
cannot  but  resolve  that  such  an  organ  must  belong  to 
more  than  an  animal,  and  that  it  is  a  token  of  a  being 
endowed  with  that  reason,  which  we  haughtily  arrogate 
as  only  belonging  to  man.  When  the  horse  is  led  up  to 
start  in  a  race,  this  placid  look  is  changed  to  one  as  deter  - 
mined  as  ever  flashed  from  beneath  the  brow  of  ancient 
knight,  attempting  deeds  that  would  either  heighten  his 
renown  to  that  of  the  great  Arthur  himself,  or  consign  him 
to  an  honorable  grave.  A  fuming,  fretty  horse,  that  rears, 
pitches,  and  refuses  to  come  to  the  score  when  the  time  to 
start  has  been  signaled,  has  rarely  the  look  I  have  at- 
attempted  to  describe.  He  is  either  frightened  at  the 
remembrance  of  unmerited  punishment,  or  is  so  sore  from 
over  or  injudicious  work,  that  he  does  not  like  to  start. 
I  have  interrupted  the  recital  of  your  three-weeks'  work 
longer  than  I  meant,  and  was  led  into  the  remarks  I  have 
been  making,  from  the  appearance  of  the  Falcon,  showing, 
as  he  does,  better  order  than  the  length  of  time  he  has 
been  in  training  would  warrant. 

PUPIL. — The  day  after  you  left,  I  gave  him  the  sweat  he 
was  prepared  for.  I  drove  him  the  next  day  the  usual 
distance,  as  I  knew  from  former  experience  that  no  de- 
bility would  follow  in  his  case.  The  following  day  I  drove 
him  the  same  distance,  allowing  him  to  brush  down  the 
stretch,  and  he  came  rattling  along  without  attempting  to 
break.  I  varied  his  work  as  you  directed,  driving  him  on 
the  road  two  or  three  times  a  week.  I  generally  drove 
him  five  miles  out,  coming  back  at  a  good  round  pace. 
The  track  work  has  been  faster  and  shorter  than  you  in- 
tended, as,  from  the  anxiety  he  manifested  to  get  along,  he 


384:  HOKSE     POETKAITUBE. 

would  go  more  quietly  at  a  three-minute  clip  than  when 
driven  slower.  I  have  sweated  him  every  week,  and  in- 
creased his  feed  to  tweve  quarts  of  the  mixed  hominy  and 
oats.  The  last  week  I  have  made  his  brushes  longer,  and 
he  has  given  me  very  little  trouble  breaking,  always  re- 
covering the  trot  of  his  own  accord.  In  his  sweats,  I  have 
used  less  clothing,  and  driven  him  faster  than  any  of  the 
others.  I  confined  the  wrappings  in  the  last  one  from  the 
loins  forward,  as  I  thought  his  quarters  did  not  need 
further  reduction. 

PEECEPTOE. — That  his  work  has  been  proper  his  looks 
testify,  and  I  find  that  I  was  right  in  predicting  that  he 
would  be  got  into  condition  very  easily.  His  form  and 
everything  pertaining  to  his  "  make-up  "  are  so  favorable 
for  speed,  that  whatever  is  detrimental  is  easy  of  removal. 
You  were  right  in  not  covering  his  loins  and  quarters,  and 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  hereafter  his  neck  and  belly  will 
only  need  clothing,  the  other  portions  of  his  body  getting 
into  order  without  the  aid  of  clothes. 

PUPIL. — Never  Mind  I  have  also  sweated  three  times 
since  you  were  here,  and  I  have  been  increasing  his  work, 
not  so  much  as  the  Falcon,  yet,  I  am  afraid,  a  little  more 
than  was  advisable.  I  have  walked  him  the  day  after 
each  sweat,  and  on  the  following  day  allowed  him  to  brush 
from  three  to  five  hundred  yards,  occasionally  repeating 
it.  The  morning  before  sweating,  I  have  also  "moved 
him,"  and  in  the  last  week  I  permitted  him  to  go  a  forty 
gait  once  round  the  track.  He  was  getting  a  little  nervous 
and  flighty,  and  I  thought  an  increase  of  work  might 
sober  him  without  being  otherwise  prejudicial. 

PEECEPTOR. — Being  convinced  of  an  error  is  the  surest 
sign  of  amendment.  His  nervousness  and  flighty  demean- 
or were,  no  doubt,  occasioned  by  the  exercise  being  more 
than  was  proper,  and  you  fell  into  the  very  common  mis- 
take of  attributing  it  to  want  of  work.  He  had  become 


KEVEK     MIKD     AND     JAKE.  385 

somewhat  sore  in  the  muscles,  and  though  his  high  tem- 
per induced  him  to  burst  off  when  the  reins  were  loosened, 
the  trot  was  painful  to  him,  which  he  sought  to  relieve  by 
breaking  into  a  gait  that  would  exercise  the  muscles  in  a 
different  direction,  and  thus  afford  him  relief.  When  he 
broke,  you  should  have  given  him  his  head  for  a  short 
distance,  talking  soothingly  to  quiet  him,  when  he  might 
have  taken  to  trotting  again  himself;  or,  if  he  did  not,  if 
you  had  pulled  him  directly  back,  in  place  of  snatching 
him  to  one  side,  he  in  all  likelihood  would  never  have 
touched  his  quarter.  You  have  not  reduced  him  more 
than  he  ought  to  have  shrunk,  in  the  length  of  time  that 
has  elapsed  since  his  first  sweat.  For  the  present,  we  will 
confine  his  fast  work  to  once  a  week,  and,  by  jogging  him 
further,  accomplish  the  necessary  exercise,  and  allow  the 
soreness  to  subside.  We  will  have  the  outside  of  the  track 
harrowed  till  it  is  quite  deep,  and  you  can  give  him  all 
the  work  on  that  part,  making  his  brushes  corresponding- 
ly shorter.  How  about  Jane  ?  I  am  anxious  to  hear  of 
her  doings.  She  certainly  looks  well,  and  from  the  further 
diminution  of  the  enlargement  on  her  knee,  I  would  judge 
she  does  not  brush  it  any  more. 

PUPIL. — Jane  has  performed  admirably.  I  have  also 
been  working  her  as  much  as  I  dare.  She  has  gone 
through  the  same  number  of  sweats  as  the  Falcon,  and 
has  never  become  irritated  in  the  least.  I  have  not  "  taken 
her  by  the  head  "  for  as  speedy  a  brush  as  the  others  have 
had,  though  I  have  let  her  stride  along  at  a  good  round 
gait.  I  had  proposed  to  drive  her  as  fast  as  I  could  to- 
morrow, and,  if  you  think  it  is  best,  will  do  so.  You  can 
then  judge  better  how  she  ought  to  be  handled  hereafter. 

PRECEPTOR. — It  will  be  proper,  as  she  is  in  condition  to 
undergo  it;  and  as  we  can  never  win  races  without  going 
fast,  it  is  time  that  all  of  those  which  we  intend  to  employ 
in  trotting  races  should  give  us  a  taste  of  their  quality. 


386  HOKSE     PORTRAITURE. 

There  is  nothing  like  an  actual  race  in  training  trotters. 
Exercise,  as  we  give  it  daily,  is  a  necessary  probationary 
stage  ;  but  the  teachings  of  one  race  are  oftentimes 
worth  more  than  a  month's  training,  and  the  condition 
benefited  in  the  same  proportion.  It  will  not  be  long, 
now,  before  we  will  put  them  to  this  practical  test ;  and  as 
the  trotting-meeting  advertised  will  take  place  in  a  month, 
we  must  have  some  of  them  ready  to  win,  if  they  can. 
Now  for  your  report  of  this  grey  fellow,  who  is  looking 
rather  coarse  compared  with  the  rest. 

PUPIL. — His  work  has,  so  far,  been  slow  only.  I  have 
been  softening  him  for  a  sweat,  which  I  intended  to  give 
in  a  day  or  two.  His  legs,  you  see,  are  still  improving, 
and  none  of  the  colts  feel  better  than  he  does  now.  I 
have  jogged  him  from  four  to  six  miles  a  day,  and  he  has 
only  walked  half  the  time  the  others  did.  He  appears  to 
wonder  that  he  is  never  called  on  to  go  fast  when  on  the 
track,  and,  at  first,  would  become  excited  whenever  he 
was  turned  around  on  it.  I  think  he  is  beginning  to 
have  a  more  favorable  opinion  of  the  graded  oval,  and  the 
kind  treatment  proves  a  specific  for  him,  as  well  as  for 
Jane. 

PEECEPTOB. — With  the  great  amount  of  speed  I  have 
heard  he  possesses,  it  well  be  worth  all  our  care  to  in- 
duce him  to  forget  his  former  ill  usage.  A  gentleman, 
who  knew  him  when  a  colt,  informs  me  that  he  was 
superior  to  Jno.  Morgan  in  that  point,  which  is  recom- 
mendation enough  to  those  who  knew  the  chestnut  in  his 
palmy  days.  He  is  progressing  as  favorably  as  we  can 
look  for,  though  I  still  fear  the  effects  of  fast  work  on  his 
legs,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  firing  iron  and  a 
winter's  run  will  be  necessary,  before  we  can  depend  on 
their  standing.  The  young  ones  I  will  see  you  drive  after 
dinner.  I  must  own  that  another  moiety  of  your  friend's 
sherry  will  be  very  acceptable,  and  you  must  be  aware 


AT     DINNER.  387 

that  my  business  has  been  very  urgent,  when  all  the 
attractions  you  have  here  could  not  be  attended  to  till  now. 

PUPIL. — Won't  you  try  a  modicum  of  brandy,  as  an 
appetizer  before  dinner  ?  or,  here  is  some  bitters  that  I 
will  warrant  superior  to  "old  plantation,"  with  all  the 
cabalistic  signs  ever  painted  on  an  astrologer's  tressel- 
board,  to  assist  it  to  attract  attention. 

PEECEPTOE. — No :  I  thank  you  for  the  offer  ;  but  it  is 
very  rare  that  I  drink  anything  before  meals,  and  nearly 
as  seldom  that  I  drink  at  all  before  dinner.  When  you 
see  me  eat,  you  will  admit  that  I  do  not  need  a  provoca- 
tive ;  and  repletion  is  not  only  injurious  to  the  health,  but 
the  flavor  of  the  sherry,  and  the  aroma  of  the  segar,  can- 
not be  so  highly  enjoyed  when  the  stomach  is  loaded. 

I  have  not  eaten  a  meal  that  pleased  me  so  well  as  this 
we  have  just  partaken,  since  I  have  been  away;  and,  though 
some  have  been  eaten  at  the  headquarters  of  gastronom- 
ical  science,  I  must  award  the  palm  to  this.  By  the  way, 
the  port  and  sherry  that  I  took  from  your  supply  was 
pronounced  of  the  first  quality  by  those  who  are  accredited 
with  being  the  best  judges  in  the  country.  I  was  anxious 
to  learn,  if  I  had  formed  a  proper  estimate,  as  I  thought 
it  superior  to  any  I  had  ever  drank.  Now,  if  you  will 
"  be  shoving  "  one  of  those  Principes  to  me  I  will  freely 
forgive  your  friend  for  denominating  me  "  the  old  man," 
sincerely  hoping  that  he  may  live  till  he  is  old — but  not 
old  enough  to  find  life  a  burden. 

PUPIL. — Never  fear — as  he  would  say — potheen  will  al- 
ways have  the  flavor,  and  he  will  feel  young  as  long  as  he 
has  a  friend  to  benefit.  You  promised  to  tell  me  at  some 
future  time,  why  you  considered  the  form  of  the  Falcon  a 
model  of  the  best  for  road  purposes  ;  and  if  not  too  much 
trouble,  I  would  like  to  hear  the  reasons  now. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  will  be  pleased  to  acquaint  you ;  and 
though  there  have  been  things  that  I  could  not  satisfac- 


388  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

torily  account  for,  as  the  effects  of  different  kinds  of  food, 
&c.,  the  advantages  of  a  certain  form  can  be  proved  on 
mechanical  principles.  Considering  the  bony  framework 
of  the  horse  as  a  machine,  that  is  set  in  motion  by  the 
action  of  the  muscles,  it  is  very  important  that  their  force 
should  be  applied  in  a  manner  that  will  effect  a  certain 
result  with  the  least  expenditure  of  power.  The  loin, 
quarters,  and  hind  legs  are  the  seat  of  the  propelling  force. 
While  I  have  no  faith  in  reducing  the  form  of  the  horse  to 
a  mathematical  problem,  calculating  by  a  series  of  angles 
the  extent  of  stride  a  certain  configuration  will  give,  there 
is  still  an  adaptability  of  the  parts  found  in  a  great 
majority  of  good  horses.  The  exceptions  only  prove  the 
necessity  of  a  form  approximating  the  model ;  for  though 
we  find  some  points  of  a  good  performer  not  in  accord- 
ance with  this  principle,  we  will  discover  a  counteracting 
force  that  overcomes  the  obstacle.  Because  English 
Eclipse  had  a  short,  thick  shoulder,  we  must  not  flatter 
ourselves  that,  as  our  favorite  has  the  same  defect,  it  is  not 
an  injury.  The  powerful  quarters  that  overcame  this 
serious  defect  in  the  Eclipse  are  rarely  found  ;  and  though 
the  English  champion  had  strength  enough  in  these  to 
overbalance  the  resistance  of  the  heavy  shoulder,  it  would 
retard  a  horse  of  ordinary  power,  till  he  would  be  useless 
as  a  racer. 

The  hind  legs  are  joined  to  the  body  by  the  upper  part 
of  the  femur  being  articulated  with  the  pelvis,  the  joint 
forming  the  connection.  The  length  of  that  part  of  the 
pelvis,  which  is  termed  the  ileum,  constitutes  what  we 
call  length  of  hip.  In  the  Falcon,  this  is  of  more  than 
ordinary  length,  which  is  an  advantage  in  giving  more 
room  for  the  attachment  of  the  muscles  that  exert  their 
force  from  this  region.  A  level  hip  is  generally  looked 
upon  with  the  most  favor,  as  the  form  which  will  give 
greater  power  to  the  muscles  joined  to  the  femur;  but  I 


THE     BEST     FOBM     FOE     A     TEOTTEE.        389 

am  inclined  to  think  that  a  slight  declivity  is  better,  by 
lengthening  the  limb  this  much,  and  thereby  giving  a 
greater  reach  in  the  stride.  Too  much  obliquity  is  a 
deformity  that  loses  this  advantage,  by  the  femur  forming 
too  obtuse  an  angle  with  the  ileum,  and,  consequently,  a 
waste  of  the  force  applied.  The  length  of  the  femur,  or 
the  bone  that  reaches  from  the  upper  joint  to  the  stifle,  is 
also  of  importance,  not  only  giving  better  attachment  for 
the  muscles,  but  placing  the  stifle  where  it  will  not  be 
impeded  in  its  motions  by  the  abdomen.  The  next  bone 
—the  tibia — extending  from  the  stifle  to  the  hock,  forms 
just  the  right  angle  in  the  Falcon  to  please  me.  It  is 
oblique  enough  to  place  the  hock  at  the  proper  position 
with  the  body.  When  he  stands  in  a  natural  manner,  a 
line  dropped  from  the  point  of  the  buttock  will  fall  a  trifle 
in  front  of  the  point  of  the  hock.  This  increases  his  stride, 
without  diminishing  the  force  that  the  muscles  exert. 

His  hock  is  superb,  being  both  wide  and  deep.  This 
joint  has  probably  as  much  to  do  with  fast  motion  as  any 
other  in  the  frame.  From  its  being  the  seat  of  lameness, 
in  nine  cases  in  ten,  of  the  hind  extremities,  we  will 
rightly  infer  that  any  weakness  in  its  construction  is  soon 
manifest.  By  being  large,  the  tendons  form  strong  attach- 
ments, guarding  against  strains,  and  by  the  posterior  bony 
process — the  os  colcos — being  long,  the  tendon,  which  we 
call  the  hamstring,  has  the  advantage  of  working  on  a 
longer  lever,  doing  the  business  easier,  and  propelling  it 
further  in  advance  than  it  could,  if  this  were  shortened. 
The  length  of  this  bone  also  gives  the  wide  gaskin,  uni- 
versally recognized  as  a  mark  of  speed.  Looking  at  the 
cannon  bone  from  behind,  you  would  think  it  was  too 
long;  but  as  you  step  into  a  position  to  take  a  side  view, 
you  find  it  to  be  very  short,  and  the  term  "  well  let  down 
in  the  hocks  "  can  be  applied  to  Falcon  with  truth.  Long 
from  the  point  of  the  hock  to  the  pastern,  measuring 

17* 


390  HOUSE    POETKAITUKE. 

down  the  tendon,  and  short  from  the  joint,  when  follow- 
ing the  metatarsal  bone,  is  the  tru*e  configuration;  and  I 
never  saw  a  horse  that  excelled  him  in  this  particular. 
The  pasterns  I  like  to  be  of  good  length,  in  order  that 
there  may  be  elasticity  enough  to  give  freedom  to  the 
joints  in  the  foot,  adding  a  little  to  the  ground  covered 
by  the  hind  legs;  and  as  every  inch  gained  in  the  stride  is 
an  object  to  be  looked  after,  this  form  of  the  pastern  is 
the  proper  one.  The  quality  of  the  muscular  covering  to 
the  bones  we  cannot  arrive  at,  though  I  am  inclined  to 
think  there  is  not  the  difference  in  them  in  horses  of 
greater  or  less  speed,  as  in  the  manner  in  which  they  act, 
which  is  determined  by  the  position  of  the  bones.  Thus 
their  greater  force  of  action,  which  enables  an  animal  to 
stride  from  two  to  five  feet  further  with  the  same  outlay 
of  power,  is  due  to  their  being  placed  in  a  position  where 
their  contractions  and  expansions  exert  a  greater  force. 
These  wiry,  tendinous  masses  that  are  so  apparent  in  the 
Falcon,  may  exist  in  an  inferior  animal ;  but,  owing  to 
their  being  placed  in  a  wrong  position,  or  encumbered  by 
matter  that  is  a  hindance  to  their  motion,  they  cannot  act 
with  the  same  effect. 

The  broad,  arched  loin  is  a  mark  of  strength;  and  while 
a  horse  that  is  slack  there  may  have  a  great  deal  of  speed, 
it  is  seldom  coupled  with  endurance.  There  is  consider- 
able motion  at  this  point,  owing  to  the  flexibility  of  the 
backbone;  and  I  always  like  to  see  this  flexibility  apparent. 
I  do  not  mean  the  scringing  motion  a  horse  makes,  on 
pinching  him,  indicating  soreness,  but  a  kind  of  swaying 
movement  in  the  walk,  which  most  race  horses  display/. 
As  you  stand  squarely  behind  the  Falcon,  the  muscles 
are  developed  in  harmony  with  each  other.  Those 
on  the  upper  thigh  and  gaskin  are  proportioned  right, 
while  the  inner  ones  have  the  same  equilibrium.  They 
are  long,  not  covering  the  tendons,  as  it  were,  but  merged 


FALCON'S    FORM.  391 

into  them  by  degrees.  In  taking  this  rear  view,  we  see 
the  ribs  forming  a  curve,  which  is  not  hidden  by  the 
quarters,  showing  that  he  is  good  in  the  carcase  or  middle 
piece.  This  gives  room  for  the  internal  viscera  that  are 
situated  back  of  the  diaphragm  ;  also  giving  that  impor- 
tant muscle  room  to  assist  in  respiration.  His  body  is  that 
of  an  elliptical  truncated  cone,  the  base  at  the  point  I 
have  just  mentioned,  and  the  apex  where  the  neck  is 
joined  to  it.  This  conformation  gives  him  great  depth 
through  the  heart,  and  is  much  better  than  if  more  cylin- 
drical, as  the  expansion  of  the  chest  is  greater  than  if 
circular.  If  the  chest  were  a  circle,  there  could  be  no 
expansion,  while  with  this  form  the  dilatation  is  sometimes 
so  great  as  to  burst  the  girth  that  confines  the  saddle. 
The  high  and  broad  shoulder-blade  drops  back  towards 
the  sway,  till  the  distance  between  it  and  the  anterior 
part  of  the  pelvis  is  very  short,  in  comparison  to  his 
whole  length.  This  gives  the  proper  angle  with  the  upper 
arm,  permitting  the  legs  to  be  thrown  forward  much 
more  than  they  could  be  if  it  were  short  and  upright. 

The  elbow-joint  is  parallel  with  the  body.  In  our  former 
conversation  I  dwelt  at  some  length  on  the  necessity  for 
this  joint  being  thus  truly  placed,  any  divergence  interfer- 
ing with  the  action.  The  sloping  shoulder  not  only  gives 
greater  stride,  but  the  concussion  is  less,  which  is  also  im- 
portant. When  the  weight  of  a  horse's  body  is  propelled 
with  the  rapidity  which  the  well-formed  quarters  and  hind 
legs  give,  there  must  be  some  contrivance  to  lessen  the  jar. 
Thus  we  see  the  hind  legs  are  joined  to  the  frame,  and 
tied  to  it  by  powerful  muscles  and  sinews,  but  the  fore 
legs  receiving  at  least  three-quarters  of  the  weight,  could 
not  be  so  attached  without  danger  of  knocking  the  ma- 
chine to  pieces.  Elastic  cushions  are  placed  between  the 
shoulder-blades  and  the  body,  and  the  spring  formed  by 
the  angular  position  the  humerus  and  scapula  assume 


392  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

further  guards  it.  Length  in  the  fore  arm  is  as  essential,  or 
more  so,  than  in  the  corresponding  bone  in  the  hind  leg. 
It  gives  greater  leverage,  and  enables  the  animal  to  cover 
more  ground  in  the  stride.  The  large  broad  knee  is  nearly 
indispensable  to  a  fast  horse,  by  giving  more  room  for  a 
proper  fastening  of  the  tendons. 

Many  hold  that  a  small  knee  is  the  proper  formation. 
Examine  Kentucky,  Norfolk,  or  Asteroid,  and  I  will  war- 
rant all  three  of  them  have  broad,  lathy  knees.  The  bone 
that  projects  from  the  back  part  of  the  knee  should  be 
large  and  prominent.  The  back  muscle  is  attached  to  this 
by  the  tendon,  and  of  course  is  more  firmly  bound  to  it 
than  if  it  were  smaller.  I  have  heard  horses,  with  the  tra- 
pezium very  prominent,  called  "cut  away  below  the  knee," 
when  their  legs  could  not  have  been  bettered.  The  knee 
has  a  very  important  duty  to  peform  in  a  trotter,  and 
unless  a  horse  has  the  proper  action  in  it,  or  acquires  it, 
he  will  never  be  likely  to  go  fast.  I  have  also  heard  people 
find  fault  with  a  broad  knee  in  a  harness  horse,  arguing 
that  he  would  be  more  likely  to  strike  it  than  if  smaller, 
the  position  of  the  limb  has  more  to  do  with  this  than 
5- he  size  of  the  joints,  and  where  the  legs  are  straight, 
filing  from  the  body  as  truly  as  those  of  the  Falcon,  it 
will  take  very  bad  handling  to  endanger  them.  A  short 
cannon  is*  the  usual  accompaniment  of  a  long  fore  arm. 
The  ligaments  and  tendons  that  convey  the  motion  from 
the  muscles  have  an  important  duty  to  perform.  They 
should  be  large,  giving  the  leg  the  flat  appearance  so  de- 
sirable, and  no  inequalities  should  be  perceivable  to  the 
eye,  or  be  felt  as  the  hand  is  passed  down  them.  Their 
size  renders  them  less  liable  to  strains,  or  rupture  of  the 
delicate  membrane  that  covers  them,  and  a  round,  fair- 
sized  pastern-joint  gives  them  a  better  fastening.  The 
long,  springy  pastern  is  of  fully  as  much  advantage  in  the 
fore  legs  as  in  the  hind,  giving,  as  I  said  before,  more  free- 


THE  BEAIK  THE  SEAT  OF  POWER.   393 

doin  of  motion  to  the  lower  pastern  and  navicular  joints, 
and  acting  as  an  additional  spring,  to  preserve  those  deli- 
cate articulations  from  injury  by  concussion.  The  round, 
medium-sized  foot,  with  proper  strength  of  horn,  we 
have  discussed  before.  While  the  neck  has  nothing  to  do 
with  progression,  a  proper  form  is  requisite  ;  this  we  also 
noticed  in  our  conversation  on  sweating. 

The  great  reservoir  of  power  is  the  brain,  and,  confident 
as  I  am  that  it  has  more  to  do  with  making  the  successful 
trotter  or  race  horse  the  superior  of  his  compeers,  than 
either  osseous  or  muscular  formation,  yet,  as  it  is  not  in 
as  tangible  a  form,  I  speak  of  it  with  delicacy,  the  fact 
being  incapable  of  demonstration,  and  only  to  be  ascer- 
tained by  inference.  For  instance,  we  have  seen  horses  of 
perfect  frame,  whose  bodies  were  a  type  of  ninety  in  a 
hundred  that  have  shown  themselves  possessed  of  speed 
and  endurance,  their  condition  perfect,  and  brought  to  the 
post  by  those  who  could  manage  them  in  the  best  man- 
ner, yet  not  worth,  as  racers,  the  last  feed  of  oats  they  eat. 
Again,  we  have  known  instances  of  the  utter  prostration 
of  strength  from  the  fumes  of  a  substance  that  could  not 
possibly  injury  the  stomach,  but  which  acted  at  once  on 
the  brain  and  nerves.  I  am  acquainted  with  a  man  who 
travels  over  the  country  every  spring  castrating  colts.  He 
never  "throws  them,"  merely  putting  a  twitch  on  their 
nose,  on  which  he  has  rubbed  something,  which  he  also 
causes  them  to  smell.  They  never  move  while  he  is  per- 
forming this  painful  operation.  I  ascribed  it  to  the  twitch, 
and  laughed  at  him  for  deluding  people  with  the  idea 
that  the  smelling  had  any  influence.  A  veterinary  surgeon, 
a  graduate  of  the  Royal  College,  was  of  the  same  opinion, 
and  attempted  the  operation  with  only  the  aid  of  the 
twitch.  At  the  first  stroke  of  the  knife  the  colt  kicked  him 
over,  and  became  perfectly  unmanageable.  A  few  snuffs 
from  the  bottle,  and  he  stood  without  moving  a  muscle 


394  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

nutil  the  job  was  ended,  and  the  clamps  put  on.  Walking 
off  like  a  man  in  a  dream,  I  took  the  vial,  and  though  cau- 
tioned by  the  man  not  to  smell  it,  I  was  anxious  to  see  if 
I  could  detect  any  of  the  ingredients.  A  terrible  head- 
ache was  the  result.  It  was  generally  remarked  that  the 
horses  he  had  operated  on  never  had  as  much  spirit 
afterwards  as  those  treated  after  the  common  method. 

If  motion  can  be  paralyzed  thus  quickly  by  something 
acting  on  the  brain,  why  should  there  not  be  a  difference 
in  power  transferred  thence  to  the  muscles  ?  We  will  to 
move  our  arm,  and  the  motion  is  performed  without  our 
being  able  to  know  how  it  has  been  done.  At  times  we 
are  aware  of  having  more  pewer  than  at  others,  and  can- 
not account  for  it,  unless  by  crediting  the  brain  with  aug- 
menting the  muscular  force.  I  am  so  confident  that  this 
is  the  great  source  of  motive  force,  that  I  always  anxiously 
look  for  the  signs  that  make  it  manifest  to  the  eye.  I  do 
not  mean  to  be  understood  that  this  lessens  the  neces- 
sity for  proper  conformation,  but  that  it  must  be  united 
with  it  to  form  the  truly  valuable  animal.  How  will  you 
determine  it  from  the  appearance  ?  is  a  very  pertinent  ques- 
tion ;  and  I  am  afraid  I  will  not  be  able  to  answer  it  as 
satisfactorily  as  I  could  wish.  To  deduce,  from  Cranios 
copy,  the  peculiarities  and  qualifications  of  mankind,  has 
been  the  pursuit  of  some  of  the  most  gifted  of  the  human 
family.  They  have  divided  and  mapped  the  skull,  locat- 
ing to  a  specific  point  what  they  considered  the  fountain- 
head  of  feeling,  taste,  and  adaptability  for  certain  pur- 
suits. They  base  this  knowledge  upon  the  examination 
of  the  heads  of  men  who  have  been  celebrated  or  no- 
torious for  the  possession  of  qualities  that  made  them 
eminent,  and,  from  prominences  found  more  marked  than 
the  generality  of  the  family,  argue  that  this  portion  of  the 
brain  gave  such  a  preponderance. 

I  have  in  this  spirit  studied  the  head  of  the  horse,  and 


EVIDENCE  OF  LAKGE  BRAIN.      395 

without  believing  a  great  deal  in  the  science  of  bumps,  am 
satisfied  that  close  observation  will  detect  this  nerve  force 
from  the  shape  of  the  head,  and  the  expression  of  the  eye 
and  ear.  The  brain  must  be  large;  and,  to  contain  this 
large  brain,  the  head  enveloping  it  must  be  large  in  the 
cerebral  region.  A  simply  large  head  may  not  have  a  great 
capacity  for  the  brain,  on  account  of  the  size  being  lower 
than  where  it  is  situated.  Now  Lexington  has  a  large 
head,  but  its  volume  is  much  the  greatest  at  the  seat  oi 
the  brain.  I  saw  him  led  out  of  the  door  of  a  railway 
car,  and  as  he  protuded  his  muzzle,  he  had  the  appearance 
of  a  striped  squirrel  with  his  pouches  full  of  nuts  ;  wide 
between  and  above  the  eyes,  with  a  corresponding  width 
at  the  upper  part  of  the  lower  jaw,  and  tapering  thence 
both  ways,  toward  the  muzzle,  by  being  scooped  out,  as  if 
cut  with  a  chisel,  and  from,  the  jowl  and  toward  the  poll, 
by  a  gradual  drawing  in  of  the  lines  of  curvature,  till 
reaching  the  ears,  which  are  set  not  too  far  apart.  The 
expression  of  the  eye  is,  if  anything,  a  surer  test ;  but  to 
describe  the  peculiarity  that  betokens  a  resolute  will,  is  a 
hard  task.  A  person  will  acquire  the  power  of  seeing  it,  by 
frequently  examining  this  organ  in  horses  that  he  knows 
are  distinguished  for  unconquerable  game.  No  one,  who 
expects  to  become  a  judge  of  the  "  good  points"  of  a  horse, 
should  neglect  any  opportunity  of  perfecting  himself  in 
the  power  to  detect  the  different  dispositions  from  the 
glance  of  the  eye.  The  shades  of  expression  are  so  varied, 
that,  if  even  I  could  make  myself  intelligible,  it  would  take 
more  time  than  we  can  now  spare. 

A  proper  form  is  usually  accompanied  with  proper 
action.  There  are  exceptions,  however,  perhaps  arising 
from  local  causes,  modifying  the  gait,  that  should  be  as 
unexceptional  as  the  form.  From  the  feet  not  being  looked 
after  when  the  animal  was  growing,  there  may  have  been 
a  slight  bias  which  cannot  be  seen,  yet  still  affects  the 


396  HOUSE    POETKAITUEE. 

action,  or  the  foot  has  had  an  irregular  bearing  from  the 
horn  wearing  unequally,  until  the  colt  has  acquired  a  habit 
which  the  correction  of  the  primary  cause  does  not  re- 
move. The  natural  action,  which  is  susceptible  of  a  far 
greater  change  by  education  than  many  would  think,  is 
nevertheless  of  the  utmost  importance.  There  should  be 
energy  in  all  of  the  paces,  especially  the  trot.  I  prefer  the 
action  that  is  termed  "  round "  to  the  very  high,  the  last 
better  than  the  dwelling  stride  that  often  characterizes 
the  horse  that  covers  a  good  deal  of  ground  at  every  step. 
In  an  untrained  horse,  more  depends  on  the  action  of  the 
hind  legs  than  the  front  ones.  Should  the  hocks  be  carried 
the  right  distance  apart,  and  the  hind  foot  thrown  far  in 
advance  of  where  the  fore  left  its  impress,  I  will  undertake 
to  leave  the  supporters  to  be  rolled  out  of  the  way,  and 
ultimately  make  a  trotter  of  the  animal  that  is  thus 
gaited. 

This  conversation  could  be  carried  to  an  unreasonable 
length,  expatiating  on  the  best  form  for  a  roadster,  one 
that  is  fitted  from  his  configuration  to  draw  a  reasonable 
load  fast ;  and  I  have  very  slightly  touched  where  much 
could  be  said.  It  may  be  enough  to  set  the  ball  in  motion 
in  your  thoughts,  and  by  comparing  the  form  of  the  best 
animals  that  come  under  your  observation,  you  will  gain 
more  knowledge  than  I  could  impart  in  a  week's  talk.  I 
must  warn  you  of  the  danger  of  thinking  yourself  an  adept 
in  selecting  a  winner  from  appearance  alone,  as  the  best 
judge  of  form  and  condition  that  ever  placed  his  eye  on 
the  outline  of  a  racer,  is  often  at  fault,  and  you  might  find 
yourself  in  the  condition  of  the  mechanical  genius  who 
was  going  to  discover  the  Derby  winner  by  mathematical 
principles,  which  would  be  an  infallible  guide.  His  money 
ran  out  supporting  those  he  considered  of  the  best  form, 
before  he  became  satisfied  of  the  falacy  of  his  test.  The 
levers  and  pulleys  were  all  right,  but  he  had  no  rule 


LONG     AND     SHOKT     HOESES.  397 

whereby  to  determine  the  head  of  steam  that  was  to  set 
them  in  motion. 

PUPIL. — I  would  like  to  hear  your  ideas  of  long  and 
short  horses,  which  has  often  puzzled  me.  While  the 
almost  universal  idea  is,  that  a  horse  "  as  long  as  a  rail " 
is  in  the  best  form,  I  cannot  coincide  in  that  view,  which 
is  perhaps  owing  to  my  limited  experience. 

PRECEPTOE. — We  have  had  two  striking  illustrations,  that 
either  form  is  compatible  with  a  very  high  rate  of  speed, 
Flying  Childers  and  English  Eclipse.  To  have  length  of 
stride,  a  horse  must  have  length  of  body  or  of  hind  leg. 
When  length  of  body  results  from  a  wide,  sloping  shoulder, 
a  long  hip  and  full  quarters,  with  the  middle  piece  well 
made  and  strong,  I  would  have  no  objections  to  a  horse 
that  is  "very  lengthy."  Should  it  arise  from  a  long  back 
and  slack  loin,  he  might  do  to  run  a  short  distance,  but 
would  never  go  far,  drag  or  carry  much  weight.  I  am 
better  pleased  with  a  medium  length,  and  when  a  horse 
measures  as  much  from  the  point  of  the  shoulder  to  the 
point  of  buttock,  as  he  does  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of 
his  withers,  I  am  satisfied.  Should  he  be  one-tenth  longer 
than  he  is  high,  with  the  requisites  I  have  heretofore 
spoken  of,  he  would  still  do.  These  would  form  the  ex- 
tremes in  my  judgment,  and  I  would  not  like  a  horse  to 
fall  on  either  side  of  these  measurements.  It  is  now  time 
for  you  to  drive  the  colts.  I  am  anxious  to  see  how  they 
are  getting  along,  as  I  have  been  much  pleased  with  their 
performances  heretofore. 

PUPIL. — I  cannot  find  fault,  as  they  are  all  improving  ; 
and  I  fancy  that  every  time  I  ask  one  of  them  to  go  fast, 
he  gratifies  me  by  going  faster  than  he  has  done  before. 
The  time  has  worn  away  till  I  will  have  to  hurry  them  up 
to  be  done  in  time  for  the  evening  walk. 

PEECEPTOE. — You  would  be  difficult  to  please  if  you  were 
not  gratified  with  the  promising  display  your  colts  make. 


398  HORSE     P011TEAITUEE. 

The  work  has  evidently  been  suited  to  their  capacity,  as 
they  come  on  to  the  track  as  gayly  as  a  fashionable  belle 
makes  her  advent  into  a  ball-room  when  she  is  satisfied 
she  is  looking  more  than  ordinarily  well.  Colts  should 
always  manifest  their  pleasure  at  the  prospect  of  the  work 
that  is  before  them.  Once  get  them  so  sore  that  every 
movement  is  made  with  pain,  and  you  have  done  more 
injury  than  months  of  careful  training  will  repair.  There 
is  not  the  necessity  for  continued  long  work  with  them  as 
there  is  with  older  horses.  Teach  them  to  trot  by  giving 
them  short  brushes,  and  never  inflicting  needless  punish- 
ment because  they  do  not  break  as  well  as  horses  that 
have  been  trotted  for  years,  and  they  will  repay  you  by 
learning  with  more  alacrity,  than  those  that  have  been 
drilled  till  the  buoyant  feelings  of  youth  are  lost.  If  they 
trot  fast  enough  to  make  it  hard  labor  for  them,  they  are 
much  easier  to  bring  into  the  necessary  condition  than 
horses  that  are  matured.  As  I  have  heretofore  remarked, 
they  have  not  so  much  inside  fat,  and  do  not  require  to  be 
"  brought  as  low  "  as  their  elders. 

I  have  often  noticed  a  tendency  to  overwork  those 
horses  that  are  deficient  in  bottom — working  the  length 
into  them,  as  the  trainers  say.  Overwork  a  delicate  horse, 
and,  my  word  for  it,  he  will  not  recuperate  in  a  long  time. 
Colts  that  are  tolerably  well  bred  do  not  suffer  a  great 
deal  of  fatigue  in  trotting  an  ordinary  race  :  therefore  the 
work  should  not  be  greater  than  is  adequate  to  bring  them 
into  proper  form.  We  will  suppose  you  have  a  three-year- 
old  colt  that  can  trot  fast  for  one  of  his  age  ;  that  he  has 
been  in  regular  work  for  three  months,  and  you  expect  to 
trot  him  in  races  in  a  month  from  this  time.  We  will  also 
imagine  that  he  is  a  hearty  feeder,  and  predisposed  to 
take  on  flesh  without  any  curtailment  of  his  work.  This 
would  necessiate  sweating.  It  is  evident  that  the  policy 
would  be  wrong  that  would  follow  the  same  plan  that  is 


WORKING     COLTS.  399 

required  by  an  older  horse:  therefore  the  sweats  should  not 
be  so  frequent  or  so  severe.  Should  he  show  symptoms  of 
his  wind  not  being  clear,  we  would  have  to  increase  the 
sweats,  not  in  severity,  but  by  giving  them  oftener;  and  as 
soon  as  we  found  that  the  respiratory  organs  were  not 
impeded,  it  would  be  evident  that  we  had  gone  far  enough, 
if  even  he  did  look  too  lusty.  We  should  season  the  flesh 
on  him  with  exercise  without  clothing,  and  there  would  be 
very  little  danger  of  legweariness  when  the  lungs  performed 
their  part  of  the  labor  aright.  Should  he  prove  deficient 
in  endurance,  there  would  not  be  any  benefit  derived  from 
trying  to  work  him  enough  to  remedy  this  defect,  and  it 
would  be  better  to  wait,  hoping  that  another  year  01 
two's  growth,  would  make  him  stouter,  than  to  run  the 
risk  of  doing  permanent  injury.  A  colt  must  have  con- 
dition, though  it  is  acquired  with  less  fast  work  than  is 
generally  thought  necessary. 

The  little  beauty  Delle  is  going  to  make  a  trotter  as 
sure  as  you  wait  for  her.  "  Time  and  patience  "  are  what 
make  the  trotter  of  the  most  promising,  and  very  few 
arrive  at  a  fast  gait  till  they  have  been  subjected  to  care- 
ful, long-continued  handling.  Oriole  is  also  doing  well, 
and  as  she  learns  to  bend  her  knees,  she  improves  in  other 
respects.  I  have  not  seen  you  drive  May  yet. 

PUPIL. — I  have  promoted  May  into  the  fast  division,  and 
work  her  with  the  trotters  in  the  morning.  To-morrow  I 
think  I  will  convince  you  she  rightfully  belongs  to  that 
class. 


CHAPTEE    XXVII. 

DRESSING     CRACKED     HEELS — EXERCISING    FALCON — DRIVING 

NEVER  MIND — DRIVING    JANE — THE   STRIDE  OF   HORSES — 

POSITION    OF    FEET    IN   A  TROT  AND    GALLOP — 

SKILL   IN  DRIVING. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  sun's  rays  have  hung  diamonds  on 
every  bush  and  flower,  transforming  the  dewdrops  into 
jewels  outshining  those  in  a  queen's  diadam.  I  have  always 
fancied  that  there  is  a  sanitive  property  in  the  morning 
dew,  and  that  when  a  horse's  feet  are  feverish,  or  the  horn 
brittle,  a  walk  in  the  "dew-bespangled"  grass  would  be  of 
benefit.  I  do  not  know  that  this  distilled  moisture  is  dif- 
ferent from  that  taken  from  the  cistern,  and  put  in  the  foot 
tub;  and  perhaps  the  idea  that  it  penetrates  the  foot  more 
quickly  is  only  a  fanciful  notion.  I  am  not  much  in,  favor 
of  these  greasy  applications  called  hoof  ointments,  and 
think  that  water  is  superior  to  all  the  compounds  that  are 
daubed  on  the  horn.  Neither  do  I  believe  in  the  many 
soakings  that  some  give;  the  application  of  water  sufficient 
to  keep  it  clean  is  generally  all  that  is  needed  for  a  healthy 
foot.  Should  a  horse's  heels  be  inclined  to  crack,  the 
practice  of  walking  him  where  the  dew  will  dampen  that 
part  of  the  foot,  is  bad.  For  cracked  heels,  glycerine  is  the 
best  application  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  and  if  a 
little  of  it  is  applied  when  they  first  begin  to  open,  it  will 
effect  a  cure,  unless  the  evil  arise  from  a  morbid  habit 
occasioned  by  bad  health.  Much  washing  of  the  legs  is 
prejudicial,  by  inclining  the  heels  to  open,  though  the  use 


DKIVIHG     FALCON.  401 

of  bandages  will  lessen  the  liability.  Glycerine  will  in- 
corporate with  water,  and  when  I  want  the  bandages  to 
remain  damp  as  long  as  possible,  I  always  mix  it  with  the 
water  I  wet  them  with.  I  have  had  horses  that  could 
hardly  be  worked  fast  without  cracks  opening  in  the  heels, 
till  at  times  the  blood  would  issue.  Since  using  this, 
I  have  been  successful  in  curing  them  by  washing  the  legs 
with  warm  water,  letting  them  absorb  what  moisture  could 
be  readily  taken  up  with  the  sponge,  applying  plenty  of 
glycerine,  and  placing  a  loose  bandage  from  the  hoof  to 
the  knee.  The  skin  by  this  treatment  acquires  more  sup- 
pleness, which  renders  it  less  likely  to  crack.  The  band- 
ages must  envelop  the  foot  so  as  to  exclude  the  air,  and 
the  folds  be  numerous  though  loose. 

I  see  you  have  the  harness  on  the  Falcon,  so  I  suppose 
he  is  the  first  one  to  be  exercised;  and  as  they  are  harrow- 
ing the  track,  it  will  be  as  well  not  to  drive  Never  Mind 
until  you  can  give  him  his  work  on  the  soft  portion.  The 
Falcon  you  can  jog  three  miles  the  reverse  way  of  the 
track.  When  you  turn  him,  increase  his  speed  to  a  three- 
minute  gait,  driving  him  as  fast  as  you  can  on  the  back 
stretch,  come  round  the  turn  easier,  gradually  increasing 
the  rate  till  half  way  down  the  stretch,  when  you  can  send 
him  along  till  you  get  by  the  stand.  Keep  up  as  fast  a 
gait  for  the  next  mile  as  you  can  drive  him  without  break- 
ing, and  this  time  he  can  come  the  whole  length  of  the 
stretch  as  fast  as  he  can  go,  hurrying  him  till  he  breaks  ; 
half  way  round  the  turn  take  him  up,  turn  him  around, 
and  go  the  reverse  way  of  the  track  a  three-and-a-half  gait, 
when  you  can  bring  him  to  the  barn. 

That  was  very  well  done.  Give  him  a  swallow  or  two  of 
water  to  rinse  out  his  mouth,  scrape  him,  rub  out  his  poll, 
straighten  his  hair,  throw  a  long  blanket  on  him,  and 
walk  him  till  he  is  cool.  You  can  continue  to  give  him 
the  same  amount  of  work  you  did  this  morning  twice  a 


4:02  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

week.  The  mornings  that  you  do  not  give  this  work,  he 
can  be  driven  on  the  road,  or  slowly  on  the  track,  for  six 
or  eight  miles.  In  place  of  the  second  sweat  you  can 
work  him  now  with  the  long  hood  on,  and  after  the 
first  mile  has  been  done  fast,  take  him  out  of  the  shafts, 
scrape  liim,  walk  fifteen  minutes,  and  repeat  with  a  two- 
mile  drive.  In  preparing  him  for  this  move,  give  him 
half  his  usual  feed  at  night,  half  his  water  with  a  small 
lock  of  hay,  put  on  the  muzzle,  and  only  give  a  quart  of 
grain  in  the  morning.  In  place  of  the  mash  the  preced- 
ing night,  feed  it  after  he  has  been  done  up,  in  lieu  of  the 
grain  that  this  feed  would  have  consisted  of.  Should  we 
trot  him  in  a  race  a  month  from  now — and  I  think  that 
will  be  good  policy,  for  he  is  recovering  from  his  breaks 
admirably,  and  if  he  does  not  find  company  that  is  a  good 
deal  too  fast  for  him,  he  will  stand  a  good  chance  to  win 
— the  race  will  do  in  place  of  a  sweat,  and,  as  I  said  be- 
fore, there  is  no  such  school  for  teaching  a  horse  to  trot 
in  races,  as  races  themselves.  If  a  trainer  even  thinks  the 
work  of  a  three  in  five  race  is  just  what  a  horse  needs  to 
bring  him  to  the  mark,  he  would  hesitate  very  much  to 
give  it,  unless  in  the  actual  combat.  How  many  "green 
horses"  have  we  seen  fail  to  make  good  the  promise  their 
private  trials  led  one  to  expect !  The  race  was  new  ground, 
and  the  driver  found  it  out  of  his  power  to  get  them 
within  several  seconds  as  fast  as  he  had  often  shown  them 
before,  with  apparent  ease.  So  I  always  like  to  make  my 
horses  familiar  with  the  place  that  is  going  to  be  the 
arena  where  they  must  display  their  powers,  and  if  I  have 
a  "  dark  "  horse,  that  I  do  not  want  the  public  to  get  a  line 
that  will  be  a  guide  to  his  capabilities,  I  try  to  manage 
that  it  shall  not  be  apparent.  It  is  quite  as  well  to  win  a 
race  by  one  length  as  fifty,  and  people  are  generally  more 
afraid  of  a  horse  that  they  have  never  seen  go,  than  one 
which  they  have  seen  win.  It  is  certainly  proper  that  the 


PEEPAEING     FOE     THE     EAGE.  403 

owner  of  a  horse  should  take  pains  that  his  rate  is  not 
known  sooner  than  will  be  of  advantage  to  himself.  The 
public  have  a  claim  that  must  be  allowed,  viz. : — that  a 
horse  must  win  if*  he  can.  Further  than  this  they  have 
none;  and  if  a  trainer  is  foolish  enough  to  tell  Tom,  Dick, 
and  Harry  of  some  wonderful  trial  his  horse  has  made, 
he  must  not  be  surprised  if  they  have  forestalled  him  in 
the  market,  and  he  can  only  get  his  money  on  at  unfavor- 
able odds,  made  so  by  his  own  lack  of  judgment.  This  is 
not  all.  Should  the  horse  be  unable  to  come  up  to  the 
private  performance,  and  be  beaten,  the  driver  is  stig- 
matized as  a  villain  who  has  induced  betting  for  his  own 
profit,  or  has  prevented  the  horse  from  winning  when  he 
could. 

To  have  the  Falcon  in  order  for  the  race  we  contem- 
plate putting  him  in,  it  will  not  be  necessary,  or  even 
advantageous,  to  strain  him  up  very  high.  He  would  trot 
to-day  mile  heats  with  ease  to  himself.  As  he  increases 
his  speed,  which  he  will  be  more  apt  to  do  under  medium 
than  heavy  work,  he  will  require  better  condition.  When 
giving  him  the  move  I  mentioned,  with  the  hood  on,  it 
will  be  well  enough  to  time  him,  and  five  or  six  days  be- 
fore the  race,  we  can  give  him  a  trial  of  a  mile  and  repeat, 
which  will  be  some  guide  to  what  he  can  do.  After  this 
trial  we  will  "fog  him  out"  by  giving  a  very  light  sweat 
under  clothes.  A  half-mile  brush  the  morning  after  this 
sweat,  and  plenty  of  slow  work,  will  be  all  that  is  neces- 
sary, in  my  opinion,  to  have  him  trot  in  proper  form. 

Never  Mind  will  be  benefited  by  keeping  up  the  sweats 
in  the  same  manner  as  you  have  been  giving  them — though 
you  must  remove  the  clothing  from  his  loin  and  quarters 
— of  course  increasing  the  speed  as  you  drive  him.  In 
the  meantime,  you  can  jog  him  on  the  harrowed  part  of 
the  track,  and  have  the  soil  loosened  whenever  it  becomes 
the  least  hard.  We  will  also  have  to  give  him  a  trial, 


404  HOKSE    POKTRAITUKE. 

which  will  be  on  the  same  day  as  that  of  the  Falcon. 
Give  him  the  last  sweat  three  or  four  days  before  the  time 
of  the  trial,  preparing  both  of  the  horses  as  much  as  you 
would  for  a  race.  When  you  speed  him,  observe  due 
caution,  in  recovering  him  from  a  break,  not  to  increase 
his  tendency  to  get  on  his  quarters.  Give  him  his  head, 
and  after  a  jump  or  two,  if  he  does  not  catch  of  his  own 
accord,  shake  him  a  little  by  moving  the  bit  through  his 
mouth,  giving  one  rein  a  slight  twich,  very  tenderly,  how- 
ever, "  as  though  the  reins  were  made  of  a  single  thread 
of  silk,"  which  would  be  broken  with  a  rude  pull.  If  he 
still  runs,  pull  him  directly  back,  now  using  a  strong 
hand, — but  let  this  be  the  last  resort.  We  must  have  a 
horse  to  gallop  with  the  horses  in  their  work,  and  I  know 
of  one  that  will  suit  you  exactly.  I  will  send  him  up  to- 
morrow, and,  though  he  has  had  a  good  deal  of  exercise 
lately,  it  has  not  been  sufficient  to  give  him  condition 
enough  to  stand  the  battering.  By  the  time  we  make  the 
trial,  you  can  have  him  in  good  order  to  endure  going  the 
second  mile  with  ease.  It  will  be  as  well  to  have  him 
galloped  when  you  are  driving.  Instruct  the  boy  that 
rides  him  not  to  lie  alongside  of  you  all  the  while,  but 
vary  his  position — sometimes  head  and  head,  again  a  few 
lengths  in  advance,  and  part  of  the  time  a  short  distance 
in  the  rear. 

Now  for  Miss  Jane.  As  the  harrowing  is  finished,  you 
can  jog  her  on  the  soft  ground.  You  will  be  the  best 
judge  of  how  much  slow  work  to  give  her,  knowing  what 
you  have  accustomed  her  to,  and  can  give  a  shrewd  gues? 
how  she  will  behave  before  you  start  her  at  speed. 

PUPIL. — You  must  not  get  weary  waiting,  as  I  will  jog 
her  very  slowly  for  a  time.  Con  is  coming  out  with  water 
sponge,  clothes,  &c.  I  thought  it  best  to  put  her  before 
the  wagon  for  this  her  first  effort  at  a  real  fast  gait.  I 
want  you  to  time  her  down  the  back  side,  as  I  am  going 


DKIVING     JAKE.  405 

to  drive  her  there  as  fast  as  I  can  ;  I  will  signify  my  in- 
tention of  the  time  T  intend  to  drive  when  I  come  by  you. 

PRECEPTOR. — I  would  advise  you  to  keep  her  a  little 
within  her  rate,  unless  you  find  that  she  is  working  very 
kindly,  when  you  can  venture  to  push  her  as  fast  as  you 
can.  Should  she  break,  handle  her  very  gently.  Bravely 
done !  She  is  tremendous  in  her  stride,  and  if  I  had  not 
had  the  watch  in  my  hand,  I  would  have  greatly  underrated 
her.  She  went  down  the  stretch  in  thirty-eight  seconds, 
when  I  did  not  think  she  was  going  any  inside  of  a  forty 
gait.  While  Con  is  walking  her,  we  will  go  across  and 
try  to  find  the  length  of  her  stride.  I  have  a  tape  line,  as 
pacing  is  only  a  rough  way  of  guessing,  at  the  best. 

PUPIL. — I  am  glad  she  pleased  you,  and  she  certainly 
went  better  than  I  expected.  She  went  very  evenly,  and 
luckily  did  not  break  until  I  got  by  the  half-mile  pole.  •  I 
had  been  urging  her  for  the  last  hundred  yards,  and  when 
she  did  leave  her  feet,  she  lost  a  good  deal  of  time,  though 
she  was  not  excited,  and  did  not  try  to  run. 

PRECEPTOR. — Here  are  strides  that  are  very  distinct — 
nineteen  feet  to  a  hundred-pound  wagon  is  some  stretch- 
ing. Take  notice  how  near  they  are  of  a  length,  not  six 
inches  variation  amongst  them  all;  and  there  is  another 
thing  I  like  to  see,  the  regularity  in  the  spaces  between 
each  footprint.  This  is  enough  to  convince  any  one  that 
the  body  of  the  trotter  is  in  the  air  part  of  the  time,  as 
the  eighteen-hand  Magog  could  not  be  stretched  a  great 
deal  over  half  the  distance. 

PUPIL. — The  stretching  would  require  an  India-rubber 
quadruped,  or  to  be  something  like  the  harness  I  heard 
an  old  man  tell  about :  he  was  taking  the  tanner  to  task 
for  not  making  better  leather,  and  to  illustrate  it,  said, 
that  he  made  a  pair  of  traces  of  the  last  side  he  had 
tanned,  and  on  a  wet,  thawing  day  he  went  to  the  woods 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  to  haul  up  a  log.  He  hitched 

18 


406  HOESE    POKTKAITUKE. 

to  a  smooth  beech — not  a  very  heavy  draught — and  started 
home,  leading  the  horse  by  the  halter.  On  arriving  at  the 
house  he  was  astonished  to  see  nothing  of  the  log  or 
whiffletree  ;  but  the  traces  were  like  the  "  linked  sweet- 
ness long  drawn  out"  he  had  heard  of,  as  they  were 
barely  visible.  As  it  was  nearly  night  and  the  chores  had 
to  be  done,  he  had  not  time  to  investigate  the  cause  then ; 
so  he  threw  the  hames  over  a  hitching  post,  that  stood 
near  the  woodyard,  to  hang  for  the  night.  A  frost  came 
and  checked  the  rivulets  that  ran  through  each  ravine, 
giving  promise  of  being  a  "good  sap  day/'  when  the 
sugar  maples  would  yield  a  copious  flow.  He  got  up  early 
to  go  to  the  "  bush,"  when,  upon  opening  the  door,  he  was 
surprised  to  see  that  the  log  was  there.  The  frost  had 
dried  the  leather,  and  the  contraction  drew  the  log  from 
the  woods. 

PEECEPTOB. — A  very  good  Munchausen,  and  not  a  whit 
more  wonderful  than  some  stories  that  are  told  about 
horses.  Though  Jane's  gait  is  very  long  and  open,  I  do 
jtot  think  it  will  be  advisable  to  take  any  means  to  shorten 
it,  as  she  does  not  dwell  or  point  when  going  fast.  I  have 
fieen  horses  that  had  a  very  long  stride  that  could  not 
trot  fast,  as  the  time  it  took  them  to  "  gather  "  more  than 
counterbalanced  the  advantage  of  covering  a  good  deal  of 
ground.  Horses  of  this  kind  often  go  a  great  deal  faster' 
by  inducing  a  shorter  stride,  and  more  rapid  action. 
When  an  animal  has  both,  he  must  be  fast ;  and  though 
generally  not  as  capable  of  going  as  well  before  heavy 
weight,  or  through  deep  ground,  I  have  known  some 
notable  exceptions  to  this  rule,  that  could  do  both  as  well 
as  any  short  or  moderate  gaited  horse  I  ever  knew.  I 
always  fancied  that  long  striders  could  carry  more  flesh 
than  if  they  did  not  step  so  far,  and  always  aim  to  have 
them  feeling  as  well  as  a  due  amount  of  work  will  permit. 


LEGS.  407 

They  must  have  condition,  as  when  tired  there  is  a  greater 
falling  off  in  their  speed  than  there  is  in  the  short  stepper. 

You  had  better  get  into  the  wagon  and  jog  Jane  slowly 
a  couple  of  miles  before  you  bring  her  to  the  barn.  As  to 
her  future  work,  I  see  no  reason  for  making  any  other 
changes  than  that  of  requiring  her  to  go,  once  or  twice  a 
week,  as  fast  as  she  is  capable  of.  The  brushes  will  have 
to  be  lengthened  as  you  progress  in  her  training,  and  you 
will  be  the  best  judge  of  how  much  slow  work  she  will 
need.  I  think  in  her  sweats  it  will  be  well  enough  only 
to  wrap  her  neck  and  chest.  When  the  inside  fat  is  ab- 
sorbed, and  the  action  of  her  heart  and  lungs  is  satisfac- 
tory, it  will  be  needless  to  reduce  her  further.  When  her 
temper  becomes  traiiquilized,  so  that  we  can  rely  on  her 
performing  in  a  race  as  well  as  she  does  in  her  exercise,  it 
will  certainly  take  a  very  good  horse  to  beat  her.  For 
should  she  come  well  in  hand  to  the  entrance  of  the  home 
stretch,  a  length  or  two  behind  most  horses,  she  would 
make  it  very  hot  for  them  from  that  point  to  the  stand. 
While  you  are  jogging  Never  Mind,  I  will  watch  Clipper 
walking,  and  give  his  legs  a  close  examination. 

PUPIL. — Never  Mind  is  much  pleased  with  the  soft  track, 
and  I  could  not  detect  any  soreness  in  the  foot.  I  drove 
him  five  miles,  thinking  that  distance,  on  the  mellow 
ground,  was  enough. 

PBECEPTOK. — That  was  sufficient.  You  can  now  harness 
the  grey,  and,  as  I  am  anxious  to  see  him  move,  you  can 
give  him  a  short  brush,  just  long  enough  to  show  me  his 
manner  of  going.  I  am  very  much  afraid  he  will  have  to 
be  laid  up,  as  his  legs  have  not  the  appearance  I  would 
like  to  see,  and  it  will  be  better  policy  to  stop  his  work 
than  to  endanger  spoiling  them  entirely.  I  am  satisfied 
that  the  iron,  accompanied  with  proper  care  the  ensuing 
winter,  will  result  in  a  permanent  cure.  The  next  two  or 
three  weeks  will  be  apt  to  show  whether  his  legs  will 


408  HOESE     POKTRAITUBE. 

stand  or  not.  If  you  see  any  symptoms  of  their  getting 
worse,  particularly  if  the  back  tendon  becomes  bowed, 
throw  him  up  at  once,  soak  his  legs  in  bran  tea,  take  his 
feed  away  gradually,  and  let  him  graze  an  hour  every  day. 
In  sweating  him  day  after  to-morrow,  do  not  drive  any 
further  after  the  hair  has  become  moistened,  relying  on 
the  additional  clothing  to  give  a  free  flow  of  perspiration. 

PUPIL. — Shall  I  speed  him  on  the  outside  of  the  track  ? 
Would  not  that  be  safer  for  him  to  go  fast  on,  as  well  as 
slow  ? 

PBECEPTOR. — It  would  :  though,  as  I  want  to  see  how 
he  handles  himself,  you  can  pull  him  to  the  inside  when 
ready  to  let  him  speed.  A  hundred  yards  will  be  far 
enough.  It  is  as  I  expected.  His  way  of  going  is  very 
severe  on  the  legs.  He  also  strides  long,  and  as  his  action 
is  very  high,  he  necessarily  throws  a  heavier  weight  on 
them  than  if  he  went  lower.  We  will  have  him  shod  with 
very  light  shoes,  to  lessen,  as  much  as  we  can,  this  super- 
abundant action  of  the  knee.  You  had  better  work  him 
entirely  on  the  outside  of  the  track,  varying  that  with 
plenty  of  road  work,  selecting  the  sandy  one  that  leads  to 
the  cove.  His  speed  has  not  been  overrated,  as  he  cer- 
tainly went  very  fast  in  the  short  brush.  What  a  pity 
that  he  has  not  such  limbs  as  the  Falcon  and  his  colts 
have!  To  undergo  the  battering  the  hard  tracks  give, 
those  iron,  tendinous  ones  are  the  sort.  I  have  heard 
people  argue  that  large  bone  is  a  sine  qua  non  in  a  trotter. 
Now,  Clipper  has  bone  enough,  but  there  is  not  correspond- 
ing development  of  tendon.  Nine  horses  in  ten  that  give 
way  in  their  legs  have  bone  enough,  but  the  tendons  are 
small. 

PUPIL. — In  a  conversation  we  held  some  time  ago,  you 
told  me  how  a  horse  trotted  and  ran — that  is,  how  the 
legs  were  moved  at  these  gaits.  I  have  known  a  man 
claim  that  a  trotter  required  more  strength  in  the  fore 


POSITION     OF     THE     FEET.  409 

legs  than  a  race  horse,  as  one  limb  did  the  work  of  two. 
It  strikes  me  that  his  knowledge  of  movement  was  very 
limited,  as  I  am  sure  the  fast  gallop  is  much  more  trying 
than  the  fast  trot. 

PRECEPTOR. — There  can  be  no  question  of  that.  The 
greater  the  velocity  of  the  body,  the  greater  the  force  with- 
which  it  comes  to  the  ground.  And  not  to  spend  time  in 
argument,  I  can  adduce  an  illustration  that  will  prove  it. 
Drive  a  fast  trotter  on  ground  that  will  just  receive  the 
impress  of  the  shoe,  so  that  the  frog  touches  the  ground. 
Eun  a  horse  over  the  same,  and  he  will  sink  much  deeper, 
running  in  training-shoes  similar  to  those  worn  by  the 
trotter.  I  have  also  heard  men  state  that  the  fore  feet  of 
the  race  horse  struck  the  earth  at  the  same  instant,  and 
that  the  hind  legs  followed  the  same  rule.  Such  ignorance 
shows  a  want  of  common  observation,  as  any  person  with 
his  eyes  shut,  and  merely  listening  to  a  horse  galloping 
past,  ought  to  know  better.  The  foot-prints  will  show 
the  manner  in  which  a  horse  runs,  more  clearly  than  they 
do  in  a  fast  trot.  For  instance,  the  "  tracks  "  are  in  this 
form  when  a  horse  runs  : — 


They  vary  more  in  the  trot,  some  horses  placing  the  hind 
foot  more  in  advance  of  where  the  fore  foot  stood,  than 
others,  thus  :  — 


XX  XX  XXX  XX  X 

Fore.    Hind.    Fore.    Hind.    Fore.    Fore.    Hind.    Fore.   Hind.   Fore. 


The  bound  is  very  clearly  seen  in  the  shoe  marks  of  the 
race  horse,  though  it  is  not  so  apparent  in  those  of  the 


4:10  HOUSE    POKTEAITUEE. 

trotter.  That  there  is  a  time  when  the  body  is  propelled 
through  the  air,  is  manifest  from  the  length  of  the  strides 
that  Jane  made.  The  tape  line  showed  nineteen  feet ; 
extend  her  feet  as  far  as  it  is  possible,  and  yon  will  per- 
ceive that  ten  feet  is  beyond  her  capacity  of  reaching,  so 
that  the  extra  nine  feet  is  made  by  the  body  being  hurled 
along,  before  it  is  again  supported  by  the  feet  touching 
the  ground.  The  length  of  the  stride  is  from  where  the 
foot  leaves  the  ground,  to  where  it  first  strikes  it  again. 
There  are  four  spaces  between  these  two  marks.  In  the 
trotter  they  are  nearly  of  a  uniform  length,  while  in  the 
race  horse,  three  of  these  spaces  are  about  equal,  while 
the  fourth  is  as  long  as  all  the  others.  Of  course  this 
proportion  is  regulated  by  the  distance  of  the  stride,  there 
being  a  great  disparity  in  this  particular  among  race 
horses.  I  must  acknowledge  my  partiality  for  a  horse 
that  is  a  long  strider,  over  a  short  one,  for  either  running 
or  trotting,  as  I  think  the  long  striders  are  generally  the 
fastest,  and  I  have  known  many  horses  celebrated  for 
their  endurance  that  "  covered  a  deal  of  ground."  It  is 
rare  to  find  this  qualification,  unless  a  horse  has  the 
oblique  shoulder-blade,  a  point  which  every  judge  of  a 
horse's  form  considers  of  the  greatest  importance. 

While  talking  of  the  foot-prints,  I  will  mention  a  custom 
which  I  always  follow,  when  training  horses  and  making 
myself  acquainted  with  their  length  of  stride,  and  I  often 
find  it  useful  as  a  guide  to  show  the  reasons  why  they  are 
not  trotting  as  well  as  common.  For  instance,  we  give 
Never  Mind  a  trial,  and  he  trots  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
thirty-six  seconds.  He  is  working  and  feeling  well. 
"We  measure  the  strides  for  a  hundred  yards,  and  find  that 
they  average  seventeen  feet,  with  very  little  difference  in 
the  length  of  any  of  them.  At  a  subsequent  period  we 
speed  him  the  same  distance,  and  find  that  he  has  been 
two  seconds  longer  in  accomplishing  it.  *  The  tape  line 


ADVANTAGE    OF    MEASURING    STRIDES.  411 

shows  there  has  been  a  falling  off  of  a  foot  in  the  distance 
covered,  and  this  would  show  that  there  has  been  no 
diminution  in  his  action,  as  it  is  fully  accounted  for  in  the 
discrepancy  in  the  stride.  We  examine  his  feet,  to  see  if 
it  is  pain  there,  which  has  made  him  fearful  of  extending 
them,  and  if  we  cannot  discover  any  tangible  reason,  the 
foot  tub  is  called  into  requisition,  he  is  driven  on  soft 
ground,  with  other  precautions,  that  we  deem  necessary, 
to  remove  the  difficulty.  On  the  other  hand,  should  the 
stride  prove  to  be  as  long  as  formerly,  it  will  be  evident 
that  he  must  have  lost  some  of  his  quickness  of  action. 
Now  there  are  various  causes  that  may  have  affected  him 
in  this  particular.  Soreness  of  the  muscles,  interfering 
with  the  celerity  of  their  action  ;  weakness  from  over- 
sweating,  or  an  insufficiency  of  feed — though  this  would 
be  more  apparent  in  a  longer  trial  ;  too  much  slow,  long- 
continued  jogging,  or  the  carrying  the  walks  to  an  extreme, 
making  him  dull,  and  without  the  proper  animation  to 
take  delight,  as  he  should,  in  bursting  off  for  the  brush. 
Should  there  have  been  a  change  in  the  shoeing,  that 
might  occasion  it — and  I  never  have  a  different  shoe 
placed  on  a  horse,  without  scrutinizing  closely  the  effect  it 
has  on  the  stride.  It  may  seem  a  trivial  matter  to  follow 
a  horse  with  a  tape  line,  and  note  the  slightest  variation 
in  his  stride;  but  I  have  been  benefited  greatly  by  this 
plan,  and  I  know  that  you  will  oftentimes  be  able  to  find 
out  the  reasons  for  a  falling  off  in  speed,  that  would  have 
troubled  you  without  this  assistance. 

I  want  to  see  May  perform,  and  hope  she  will  verify 
your  assertion  that  she  is  entitled  to  a  place  among  the 
trotters.  That  she  will  eventually  be  a  good  one,  I  have 
no  doubt,  though  I  did  not  look  for  as  rapid  improvement 
as  you  mention. 

PUPIL. — I  may  have  been  deceived,  by  the  rapid  change, 
into  placing  too  high  an  estimate  on  her  powers  ;  still  I 


412  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

feel  confident  that  it  will  not  be  long  ere  she  will  make 
the  older  ones  "do  all  they  know  how/'  to  beat  her.  I 
have  not  driven  her  at  her  fastest  gait  around  the  turns 
yet,  but  will  now  drive  her  a  mile,  and  let  the  watch  tell 
the  story. 

PKECEPTOB. — Hurrah!  2:41,  and  she  was  1:23  in  doing 
the  first  half.  There  is  no  further  difficulty  of  making  a 
trotter  of  her,  as  with  proper  handling,  I  do  not  think  she 
will  relapse  into  her  former  sideling  motion.  That  is  the 
only  tiling  to  fear,  and  every  precaution  must  be  taken  to 
guard  against  it.  It  wiU  be  as  well  to  confine  her  fastest 
work  for  a  while  to  the  straight  sides,  teaching  her  to  go 
on  the  turns  by  degrees,  and  always  letting  her  wear  the 
roll  to  protect  the  pastern.  An  unlucky  blow,  by  wounding 
t'-iat,  would  be  very  detrimental,  as  likely  to  re-awaken  the 
fear  she  formerly  had  of  injuring  it,  and  destroy  the  con- 
fidence she  has  acquired.  I  like  to  have  horses  capable 
of  going  fast  on  any  part  on  the  track — especially  the  latter 
end.  The  advantages  are  too  apparent  to  need  comment. 
This  requires  practicing  a  rapid  gait  on  the  semicircles, 
as  well  as  on  the  parallel  lines,  to  accustom  a  horse  to  go 
with  freedom  when  "  rounding  a  turn."  It  will  be  as  well 
not  to  hurry  May  in  this  part  of  her  education,  for  if  we 
succeed  in  curing  her  by  taking  the  whole  season,  we  will 
be  well  repaid  for  the  time  occupied.  Her  neck  and 
shoulders  will  only  need  "scraping,"  enveloping  them  in  a 
wrapper  and  long  hood,  though  I  would  not  recommend 
clothing  her  farther  back  than  a  few  inches  behind  the 
girth.  May  is  a  very  handy  breaker,  so  that  we  can  look 
for  her  to  be  a  "  good  moneyed  horse" — a  safe  one  to  do 
in  a  race  all  she  promises  in  her  trials. 

I  cannot  see  that  you  need  much  further  instruction 
and  now  that  you  have  had  a  lesson  in  the  danger  of  allow- 
ing a  horse  to  wear  a  shoe  that  will  be  likely  to  do  injury, 
should  he  "  grab,"  you  will  not  need  cautioning  on  that 


DRIVING.  413 

score.  You  will  also  be  likely  to  remember  the  danger 
there  is  in  snatching  a  horse  sharply,  should  he  break,  as 
more  serious  results  may  follow  than  cutting  the  quarters. 
Injury  to  the  knee  is  frequently  the  consequence,  while 
the  animal  may  be  hurt  permanently  by  a  strain  of  the 
shoulder  or  loin.  There  is  nothing  gained  by  this  proceed- 
ure,  as  I  never  knew  a  horse  that  would  not  ultimately  be 
a  better  breaker,  and  lose  less  ground,  when  the  gentler 
plan  has  been  followed.  If  a  person  has  so  little  physical 
strength  that  he  is  afraid  of  not  being  able  to  manage  a 
horse,  unless  he  jerks  him  at  the  instant  he  leaves  his  feet, 
he  must  use  some  of  the  safety  appliances,  which  will  give 
him  the  requisite  nerve.  But  the  most  successful  means 
of  managing  a  refractory  horse  is  not  by  main  strength; 
address,  or  skill,  as  we  may  term  it,  being  far  more  ef- 
fective. 

One  of  the  very  best  drivers  I  ever  saw  has  not  more 
strength  than  a  hearty  twelve-year-old  boy.  He  never  uses 
hand  pieces,  or  any  aid  of  that  kind,  depending  entirely 
on  skillful  management,  which  I  never  knew  to  fail  him  at 
any  time.  If  a  horse  is  determined  to  run  away,  and  is 
accustomed  to  do  so  whenever  he  tries,  pulling  will  not 
stop  him.  The  best  way,  then,  is  to  retain  your  self- 
possession,  when  you  will  be  able  to  guide  him,  and  keep 
him  running  where  the  ground  is  the  safest.  If  you  have 
a  horse  that  you  feel  confident  will  stop  whenever  you  tell 
him,  and  go  wherever  you  direct,  you  are  not  alarmed  if 
he  does  run.  It  is  not  the  speed,  then,  that  is  so  frightful, 
but  the  consciousness  that  you  are  carried  along  against 
your  will.  It  is  a  good  many  chances  to  one,  that,  when 
the  horse  finds  you  are  not  pulling  at  him,  but,  if  anything, 
urging  him  on,  and  if  he  is  not  heeding  the  suggestions  of 
the  bit  in  going  the  way  you  direct,  adding  to  its  admoni- 
tions a  severe  reminder  with  the  whip, — he  will  not  find  so 
much  pleasure  in  the  effort,  and  be  as  ready  to  stop  as  you 

18* 


414  HOESE    POETEAITUEE. 

are  to  have  him.  This,  of  course,  has  reference  to  horses 
that  run  away  from  willfulness,  and  not  under  the  sudden 
impulse  of  fright.  As  you  have  now  finished  your  morn- 
ing's work  I  will  leave  you,  and  I  do  not  think  it  will  be 
necessary  for  me  to  come  again,  until  the  time  fixed  for 
the  trials.  If  there  is  anything  you  want  to  know,  that  I 
have  omitted  in  my  directions,  you  can  subject  me  to  any 
queries  you  see  fit. 

PUPIL. — The  bump  of  self-esteem  must  be  a  prominent 
elevation  on  my  head,  as  I  feel  very  capable  of  carrying 
the  horses  along.  The  success  I  have  had,  so  far,  I  do  not 
ascribe  to  fortuitous  circumstances,  but  to  the  result  of 
your  teachings,  as  I  should  have  been  sadly  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do  in  several  instances.  Your  directions 
have  been  so  minute,  that  my  memory  and  comprehension 
would  have  to  be  very  poor,  if  they  did  not  serve  to  guide 
me  for  the  time  you  will  be  gone.  I  can  assure  you  that 
I  will  not  fall  into  the  same  error  again  I  did  with  Never 
Mind,  in  either  mistaking  overwork  for  rankness,  or  in 
twitching  him  on  to  his  quarters.  To  fit  the  horses  for 
the  races  in  four  weeks,  it  will  be  necessary  that  their 
work  should  gradually  approach  that  which  it  will  be  in  the 
race,  and  with  all  my  assurance,  I  am  not  so  certain  that 
I  will  be  able  to  hit  the  happy  medium,  and  give  them 
neither  too  little  nor  too  much  work. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  had  better  keep  on  the  safe  side,  and 
have  the  work  rather  under  what  you  consider  the  full 
amount  they  can  bear  with  advantage.  While  there  has 
to  be  plenty  of  work  given  to  bring  a  horse  into  condition, 
an  over-supply  is  worse  than  not  having  him  quite  up  to 
the  mark  in  opening  a  campaign.  In  fact,  I  prefer  that 
a  horse  should  not  be  in  the  form  of  doing  all  he  is  capable 
of  in  his  first  races,  but  in  that  condition  that  will  be 
benefited  by  the  work  he  gets  in  them,  and  so  keep  up  a 
steady  rate  of  improvement,  uncil  the  season  is  at  an  end. 


GET T I  KG     CONDITION     IN     KACES.        415 

I  dislike  very  much  for  a  horse  to  become  stale,  before  he 
has  trotted  half  the  races  we  have  marked  for  him  to  per- 
form in,  and  it  is  better  policy  not  to  try  to  bring  him  to 
an  "edge"  at  the  start,  as  I  am  fearful  that,  after  the  first 
few  contests,  it  would  become  nicked  and  broken,  from 
our  not  having  taken  time  enough  to  temper  the  blade  so 
as  to  hold  it.  The  celebrated  trainer,  Arthur  Taylor,  in 
the  commencement  of  a  campaign,  had  his  horses  looking 
big  and  bulky,  and  one  of  the  shrewdest  managers  on  the 
English  turf,  Thomas  Parr,  said  that  he  found  it  the 
cheapest'  plan  to  sweat  his  horse  in  public,  meaning  that 
he  preferred  they  should  run  themselves  into  condition  in 
actual  races,  rather  than  by  galloping  on  the  downs. 
Should  the  weather  not  be  favorable  to  give  the  trials  at 
the  time  we  intend,  and  the  track  not  be  in  shape  to  work 
on,  you  will  have  to  go  on  the  road,  as  it  will  not  do  4o 
fail  exercising  those  we  trot  in  the  races.  If  you  should 
happen  to  need  advice  or  assistance  from  me,  send  one  of 
the  boys  down,  and  I  will  come  forthwith. 


CHAPTEK    XXVIII. 

TRIALS — PREPARATIONS  FOR  THEM — TRIAL  OP  THE  FALCON- 
OP  NEVER  MIND. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  will  perceive  I  have  come  in  time  this 
morning,  and  have  been  well  repaid  for  my  break-of-day 
drive  by  the  beauty  of  this  bright  opening  of  the  dawn. 
You  have  been  giving  fervid  descriptions  of  your  Western 
scenery,  and  the  dry  air  that  enabled  you  to  see  distinctly 
at  distances  that  would  require  the  aid  of  a  telescope  in  a 
less  favored  clime;  but  I  think  you  will  have  to  aknowledge 
*hat  even  the  grand  prairie  was  never  enveloped  in  a 
purer,  more  odoriferous,  ambient  mantle  than  this.  Your 
Ohicago  friend  would  be  troubled  to  find  any  of  those 
deleterious  vapors,  that  he  thinks  are  always  brooding  on 
'3ie  ocean's  shore,  and  if  his  eye  is  as  quick  for  detecting 
>eauty,  as  his  palate  is  nice  in  discovering  the  exquisite 
flavor  of  wines,  as  shown  by  his  selection,  he  would  be 
greatly  delighted  at  the  prospect  presented  this  morning. 
Look  at  the  sun  rising  from  its  waveless  bed,  making  a 
glowing  pathway,  a  flooring  of  radiance  glorious  in  its 
brightness !  The  vessels  in  the  offing,  which  a  few  minutes 
ago  only  caught  the  refulgence  in  their  topmast  sails,  now 
stand  out  in  full  relief,  a  pyramid  of  whiteness,  contrasting 
finely  with  the  black  pennon  streaming  from  the  passing 
steamer.  Notice  the  steamer  that  is  lying  by — how  the 
smoke  rises  in  a  grand  column,  with  a  capital  more  grace- 
ful in  its  curves  than  the  fluted,  acanthus-leaved  glory 
that  crowns  the  elegant  Corinthian  shaft !  And  when  we 


CONDITION     OF     TEACK.  417 

come  to  the  foreground  of  this  inimitable  picture,  what 
perfect  keeping  there  is  in  the  "  filling  up  !"  The  field  of 
tasseling  corn  on  our  left  seems  a  continuation  of  the 
coppice  beyond  it,  the  broad  luxuriant  leaves  deflecting 
from  the  stalk,  and  falling  back  in  curves  superior  to  Ho- 
garth's line  of  beauty,  and  giving  an  Oriental  appearance 
to  the  view,  heightened  by  the  group  of  sumachs,  with 
their  palm-like  leaves  and  scarlet  cones.  That  field  of 
ripening  grain  appears  as  if  it  had  retained  the  yellow 
sunbeams  in  which  it  has  been  bathed,  while  the  air  is 
filled  with  the  perfume  of  the  woodbines  and  honeysuckles 
that  drape  the  cottage  porch,  and  hang  in  festoons  about 
the  windows.  The  morning  is  as  favorable  as  we  could  have 
for  horses  to  go  fast;  and  if  the  track  is  in  corresponding 
condition,  the  time  made  will  not  be  a  safe  criterion  to 
guide  us,  in  estimating  the  ability  of  the  horses  to  perform, 
when  things  are  not  so  favorable. 

PUPIL. — The  track  is  good,  though  not  so  fast  as  it  might 
be,  as  I  have  had  the  whole  of  it  harrowed — the  inside 
very  lightly — thinking  it  would  be  better  for  the  trotters, 
and  I  could  not  bear  to  see  the  horse  you  sent  up  gallop- 
ing on  ground  that  had  no  loose  dirt  to  deaden  the  con- 
cussion. 

PEECEPTOE. — You  have  made  a  hit  in  preparing  it,  as  I 
am  very  partial  to  a  thin  coating  of  loose  earth,  even  for 
trotting  purposes;  and  though  it  is  undoubtedly  slower  than 
a  smooth,  hard  surface,  it  is  fast  enough — faster  than 
many  would  think  who  had  not  tried  a  horse  on  a  similiar 
course.  There  is  just  the  right  amount  of  soil  to  fill  the 
inner  part  of  the  foot,  forming  a  sort  of  a  cushion,  which 
will  take  a  great  deal  of  the  jar  off,  and  a  horse  will  there- 
fore extend  himself  freely,  gaining  in  that  way  nearly  as 
much  as  he  looses  by  the  added  draught  of  the  wheels 
running  over  a  yielding  surface.  It  will  be  as  well  that 
the  horses  have  a  short  walk  before  driving,  and  have  a 


418  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

mash  made  for  the  feed  at  ten  o'clock  for  each  of  them. 
Unless  they  are  costive,  this  mash  can  be  made  of  the 
hominy  and  oats,  and  a  small  proportion  of  bran.  The 
water  must  be  boiling,  and  the  vessel  that  is  used  to  make 
it  in  must  be  covered,  so  that  there  will  be  no  escape  of 
steam. 

PUPIL. — In  preparing  these  horses  for  the  trial,  I  did  not 
give  them  more  than  three-quarters  of  their  usual  feed  of 
grain,  last  night  half  their  water,  and  about  a  quarter  of 
the  hay  they  commonly  receive.  This  morning  I  have  only 
given  them  a  quart  of  grain  apiece,  and  a  very  few  swallows 
of  water. 

PBECEPTOE. — I  think  the  amount  you  have  named  may 
not  do  any  injury,  though  I  would  not  have  fed  them  as 
much.  I  am  not  in  favor  of  "  drawing  a  horse  "  as  closely 
as  many  do,  who,  I  think,  err  in  making  their  restrictions 
too  severe.  There  is  a  point  to  be  reached  in  this  pre- 
paration which  it  should  be  our  aim  to  observe,  viz  :  that 
the  stomach  should  not  be  encumbered,  and  yet  the 
nourishment  afforded  by  the  food  be  sufficient  to  carry  a 
horse  through  a  race,  in  which  he  would  "  weaken"  unless 
the  supply  was  adequate  to  meet  the  demands.  Many 
interesting  experiments  have  been  made  in  France  to 
determine  the  time  it  takes  for  a  horse  to  digest  his  food, 
and  also  the  effects  of  exertion  in  hastening  the  process. 
I  do  not  remember  them  distinctly  enough  to  quote  what 
the  results  were;  but  this  I  do  recollect,  that  digestion  is 
nearly  passive  when  the  animal  is  in  repose,  is  much 
hastened  with  moderate  exercise,  and  suspended  when 
violent  exertion  takes  place.  In  three  or  four  hours,  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances,  the  food  is  assim- 
ilated. Now,  last  night's  feed  would  only  have  undergone 
a  partial  change  before  the  action  of  the  stomach  was 
suspended  by  the  animal  sleeping,  and  whatever  was  given 
this  morning,  cannot  help  encumbering  the  stomach,  at 


CAUTERIZING.  419 

the  time  we  want  him  to  exert  himself.  The  walk  will 
assist  in  relieving  the  horses,  and  we  will  postpone  the 
work  till  after  breakfast,  which  will  be  a  further  help. 
Actual  trial  is  worth  far  more  than  theory;  and  making 
yourself  acquainted  with  the  wants  of  each  horse  in  this 
particular,  by  repeated  experiments,  is  altogether  the  best 
method.  Horses  differ,  and  while  one  may  require  the  cur- 
tailment in  his  food  and  drink  to  be  rigid,  others  will  per- 
form better,  by  never  being  forced  to  wear  the  muzzle,  and 
only  shortened  in  the  meals  that  immediately  precede  the 
race.  I  have  heard  a  story  that  an  Englishman  always 
fights  the  best  after  a  good  dinner,  an  Irishman  when  he 
has  had  a  sup  of  whiskey,  and  your  countryman,  the  Scotch- 
man, when  fasting.  I  presume  that  this  is  only  a  conceit, 
though  it  is  applicable  to  the  equine  family,  as  I  have 
known  different  horses  that  required,  one  of  them  the 
stimulus  of  the  whip  and  spur;  another,  the  support  of  the 
most  nutritious  food;  and  the  third  would  do  better  when 
drawn  till  his  shape  resembled  that  of  a  greyhound  when 
in  order  to  run  a  course.  There  will  be  time  for  you  to 
jog  Clipper  before  we  are  summoned  to  the  steak  and 
coffee. 

PUPIL. — I  have  observed,  when  I  have  been  driving  him 
lately,  that  he  has  gone  with  a  little  halt  in  his  gait,  and 
am  fearful  that  the  only  cure  for  him  will  be  the  actual 
cautery,  which  you  have  advised  as  a  last  resort. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  need  not  exercise  him,  as  I  can  see 
that  the  near  fore  leg  gives  evident  symptoms  of  not  being 
capable  of  standing  the  work.  You  will  see  that  the  out- 
line of  the  back  tendon  is  not  straight  as  it  should  be,  but 
is  curved  outward  ;  and  I  never  knew  one  in  that  shape, 
if  the  work  was  persisted  in,  that  did  not  ultimately  break 
down.  Cauterizing  has,  as  Mr.  Percival  says,  restored 
many  when  in  this  condition,  and  given  them  renewed 
strength  to  perform  nearly  as  well  as  they  did  formerly. 


420  HORSE     PORTRAITURE. 

I  know  a  veterinarian  that  greatly  excels  in  performing 
this  very  painful  operation.  I  have  seen  legs  that  he  has 
fired  from  the  knee  to  the  coronet,  when  the  marks  of  the 
firing  iron  have  been  hardly  discoverable,  and  yet  the 
effect  has  been  equally  as  good  as  in  those  cases  disfigured 
with  ugly  scars  and  rigid  callouses.  By  the  way,  how  do 
the  horses  like  the  company  of  the  galloping  fellow  ? 

PUPIL. — I  cannot  say  whether  they  consider  the  acquisi- 
tion of  his  company  pleasurable  or  not.  The  Falcon  does 
not  pay  much  attention  to  him  any  more,  if  he  will  only 
stay  behind  ;  but  the  moment  he  takes  the  lead,  he  will 
exert  every  nerve  to  overtake  him,  and  never  gives  up  try- 
ing as  long  as  the  runner  is  in  advance.  I  know,  as  well  as 
if  he  could  tell  me  in  words,  what  he  thinks,  and  there  is  no 
doubt,  in  my  mind,  that  his  cogitations  are,  if  we  would 
only  put  a  saddle  on  him,  there  is  not  a  man  about  the 
place  that  he  could  not  carry,  and  beat  that  short-gaited 
fellow,  that  thought  it  quite  a  trick  to  run  ahead  of  a 
horse,  encumbered  with  wheels  and  forced  to  keep  a  gait 
immeasureably  slower  than  his  natural  one.  Never  Mind, 
when  the  horse  laps  him,  will  fairly  fly,  and  keeps  him  to 
a  good  racing  pace  for  a  couple  of  hundred  yards,  al- 
though, when  he  gets  a  few  lengths  clear  in  the  lead,  he 
loses  heart,  and  if  still  pushed,  does  not  go  with  the 
animation  that  characterizes  his  efforts  when  he  thinks 
he  is  beating  him.  Jane  surprised  me  with  the  quietness 
which  she  displays  in  his  company,  and  will  accommodate 
her  pace  to  the  one  the  runner  goes  at,  and  is  prompted 
more  by  the  command  of  her  driver  to  go  faster,  than  she 
is  by  the  desire  to  leave  him.  May  is  like  her  sire,  and 
cannot  bear  to  be  stopped  while  he  is  yet  ahead.  Delle  I 
only  tried  once,  and  she  was  so  much  excited  that  I  did 
not  repeat  the  experiment. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  probable  reason  for  Jane's  immobility 
is  that  she  never  yet  has  been  in  a  race;  and  the  sole  cause 


THE     COMPETITORS     IN     THE     RACE.      421 

for  her  former  excitement  was  the  drunken  driver's  lash. 
I  had  misgivings  that  Never  Mind  would  act  in  the  man- 
ner you  describe,  from  the  narrowness  of  the  skull  between 
and  above  the  eyes,  showing  the  want  of  the  moral  force, 
which,  if  he  possessed,  would  make  him  the  equal  of  the 
very  best.  Better  condition  will  aid  him,  and  I  am.  in 
hopes  that  the  work  of  to-day,  and  of  those  intervening, 
will  give  him  heart  enough  to  win  the  race  we  have  him 
entered  for.  The  horses  in  it  are  not  so  fast  as  he  is,  or 
rather  those  that  are  known,  there  being  two  dark  ones 
that  report  mentions  as  having  performed  wonderfully  in 
some  Utopian  country,  the  location  of  which  has  not  yet 
been  found  out.  To  contend  against  the  Falcon  are  horses 
which  have  gone  faster  in  public  than  any  time  we  can 
expect  him  to  make  yet;  but  as  it  is  the  only  place  to  put 
him  in,  to  give  him  a  chance  to  receive  the  benefits  of  a 
race,  he  may  as  well  begin  there  as  anywhere  else.  For 
all  this,  I  would  rather  take  odds  against  him  than  lay 
them  on  Never  Mind.  Both  of  these  races,  coming  on 
the  same  day,  will  give  you  and  the  boys  plenty  of  work; 
yet,  with  the  help  you  have,  all  the  attention  necessary  for 
the  horses  can  be  awarded  them.  My  morning  ride  has 
given  me  a  sharp  appetite,  and  I  am  not  sorry  to  hear  the 
signal  that  summons  us  to  prepare  for  breakfast. 

PUPIL. — I  suppose  it  is  useless  to  offer  you  anything  to 
drink,  and  I  do  so  more  as  a  matter  of  form,  than  from 
any  expectation  that  you  will  accept  it. 

PRECEPTOR. — Thanking  you  for  the  kindness,  I  must 
reiterate  that  I  never  drink  for  form's  sake,  and  when  I 
do  indulge,  it  is  either  to  gratify  my  palate,  or  for  the 
fancied  necessity  for  the  stimulus.  I  say  fancied,  as  I 
think  nine-tenths  of  the  liquor  that  is  drank  is  from  some 
fanciful  cause.  That  I  take  pleasure  in  drinking  I  will 
cheerfully  admit,  and  I  appreciate  the  flavor  of  good  liquor 
as  much  as  any  one.  Because  ripe  peaches  are  delicions, 


422  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

we  would  be  foolish  to  use  them  so  indiscriminately  as  to 
endanger  the  health,  or  clog  the  appetite.  My  favorite 
beverage  in  the  morning  is  coffee,  and  though  I  relish  a 
cup  of  good  black  tea  at  times,  the  decoction  of  the 
Arabian  berry,  when  rightly  prepared,  is  the  accom- 
paniment I  most  fancy  to  the  matutinal  meal.  But  I 
have  expatiated  so  much  on  the  pleasures  of  good  cheer 
that  you  will  have  a  right  to  think  I  am  more  of  a  gourmet 
than  I  am.  A  horse  is  better  for  neither  being  a  gross  or 
delicate  feeder,  and  I  have  always  schooled  myself  not  to 
be  over-fastidious  about  my  food,  while  my  hearty  ap- 
petite causes  me  to  relish  almost  everything  of  which 
people  are  fond. 

PUPIL. — Talking  of  peaches  reminds  me  that  their  sea- 
son is  close  at  hand,  and  they  are  among  the  delectables 
which  I  prize  exceedingly.  Strawberries,  raspberries, 
peaches,  grapes,  and  pears  I  have  a  fondness  for,  which 
almost  amounts  to  a  passion,  and  I  gratify  this  appetite 
by  consuming  quantities  that  appear  frightful  to  some; 
and  I  have  often  been  told  that  I  would  kill  myself,  if  I 
devoured  such  loads;  yet  I  never  found  any  damage  to 
arise  from  this  wholesale  consumption.  I  think  fruit  is 
to  man  what  green,  succulent  herbage  is  to  the  horse — a 
promoter  of  good  .health,  and  certainly  a  source  of  pleas- 
ure which  does  no  injury.  As  I  am  a  pound  or  two  over 
the  standard  weight,  I  suppose  it  would  be  as  well  that  I 
should  restrain  my  appetite  somewhat,  so  that  the  horses 
would  not  have  to  drag  more  load  than  is  required. 

PBECEPTOE. — The  effect  of  a  few  pounds'  weight  in  trot- 
ters is  hardly  appreciable ;  that  is,  when  the  extra  amount 
consists  in  four  or  five  pounds  of  flesh  in  the  driver.  Race 
horses  are  different,  though  I  think  the  disadvantages  of 
a  slight  excess  of  weight  are  over-estimated.  The  story 
of  the  stable  key  in  the  pocket  of  the  boy  has  been  told 
so  often,  that  the  belief  in  the  dogma,  that  an  ounce  or 


QUALIFICATIONS     FOB     A     DKIVE3J.       423 

two  changed  tlie  result  in  the  trials,  is  very  general.  That 
weight  will  equalize  horses,  is  shown  by  the  result  of  the 
handicaps  in  England;  though  the  difference  necessary  to 
bring  a  good  horse  and  a  poor  one  together  should  con- 
vince people,  that  the  old  notion  of  seven  pounds  being 
equal  to  two  hundred  and  forty  yards  in  four  miles  is  a 
mistake.  Eight  or  ten  pounds,  over  the  regular  weight,  in 
a  sulky  would  make  a  very  slight  distinction,  depending 
even  then  a  good  deal  on  the  state  of  the  track.  The  ad- 
ditional friction  of  a  vehicle  with  four  wheels,  causes  quite 
a  gap  in  a  mile  with  most  horses,  though  I  think  this  de- 
pends a  good  deal  on  the  fact  that  the  wagon  covers  more 
ground  than  the  sulky,  and  therefore  is  not  so  easily 
handled.  In  going  round  a  turn,  the  centrifugal  force 
operates  prejudicially,  and  the  hind  wheels  are  thrown  in 
such  a  position  that  they  have  to  slide  as  well  as  revolve. 
Weight  in  the  wagon  there,  then,  would  be  more  felt,  as 
the  heavier  the  vehicle  is,  the  greater  is  the  tendency  to 
fly  from  the  centre.  So  I  do  not  think  there  is  much 
necessity  for  placing  the  muzzle  on  you;  and  so  long  as 
you  do  not  eat  too  much,  so  as  to  effect  the  free  workings 
of  the  wheels  of  the  mind,  you  need  not  be  restricted. 

There  are  other  qualifications  required  to  make  a  good 
driver,  that  are  fully  as  essential  as  skill  in  handling  a 
horse;  one  great  requisite  being  coolness  of  temper,  and 
another  the  power  of  judging  quickly,  and  taking  advan- 
tage of  circumstances  arising  from  the  varying  changes  of 
the  race.  I  will  not  dilate  on  this  point,  till  I  see  how  you 
deport  yourself  next  week,  when  I  can  give  advice  that 
will  be  appropriate,  and  better  understood,  as  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  case  demand  our  attention. 

Now  for  the  trial,  which  is  to  determine  the  chances  we 
imagine  the  horses  will  have  when  pitted  against  a  field, 
each  one  comprising  it  doing  his  best  to  win.  I  must  again 
warn  you  of  the  danger  there  will  be  in  taking  the  time 


424  HOESE     PORTRAITURE. 

the  horses  make  this  morning,  as  being  the  measure  of 
their  powers  in  a  race.  Here  everything  is  advantageous. 
The  air  is  pure,  and  not  a  current  to  retard  the  progress 
through  it,  the  track  is  in  fair  condition — much  beyond 
the  average  for  making  good  time — and  the  horses  will 
have  nothing  to  trouble  them,  but  will  take  the  inside  and 
keep  it,  while  the  horse  gallops  in  such  a  position  as  to 
ensure  getting  the  most  out  of  them.  I  have  known 
horses  that  would  go  faster  in  a  race  than  at  a  trial,  the 
excitement  of  the  contest,  and  the  animation  induced  by 
the  shouts  of  the  multitude,  bracing  them  to  do  more  than 
was  thought  to  be  in  their  power  to  accomplish.  I  sup- 
pose you  will  commence  with  the  Falcon,  jogging  him  two 
or  three  miles,  opening  him  as  many  times  by  short 
brushes  up  and  down  the  stretch.  You  can  drive  him 
past  the  stand  one  or  twice,  stop  on  the  turn,  drive  back 
to  the  distance  post,  and  start  for  the  trial  at  as  good  a 
pace  as  you  can  drive  him.  If  he  breaks,  recover  him  as 
quickly  as  you  can,  and  should  he  leave  his  feet  imme- 
diately preceding  the  score,  I  will  not  start  the  watch,  so 
you  can  pull  him  up  and  try  again. 

PUPIL. — Shall  we  gallop  the  horse  with  him  from  the 
first,  or  wait  for  the  repeat  ? 

PBECEPTOB. — We  will  wait  till  he  makes  the  first  mile,  as 
I  want  to  see  what  difference  the  company  will  make,  and 
it  would  be  too  much  work  for  the  horse  to  run  with  both 
of  the  trotters  through  all  their  trials.  Very  well.  He 
made  the  mile  in  2 : 38,  and  the  rate  was  very  even  for  the 
whole  distance.  I  do  not  think  he  has  displayed  his 
powers  in  full,  as  he  appeared  to  be  going  too  much  at  his 
ease,  and  no  one  would  imagine  from  his  present  looks 
that  he  had  been  pressed  at  all.  Throw  the  blanket  on 
him,  and  have  the  boy  walk  him  up  the  stretch.  There  is 
no  use  in  giving  him  much  time,  as  there  is  no  distress  to 
recover  from. 


TRIAL     OF    THE     FA  LOOK.  425 

Now,  my  boy,  I  want  you  to  give  a  practical  exemplifica- 
tion of  the  way  to  ride  a  race  horse.  That  fellow  is  very 
tractable,  and  you  can  place  him  wherever  you  desire. 
You  can  gallop  alongside  of  the  Falcon  for  a  mile,  in 
which  he  will  be  driven,  slow,  and  when  the  horse  is  turned 
round  to  start,  come  a  length  or  two  ahead  of  him,  and 
take  your  horse  up  on  the  turn.  The  next  time,  come  the 
same  distance  behind  him,  when  you  can  also  pull  up. 
The  third  time  let  him  lead  you  half  a  length  when  I  will 
give  you  the  word;  keep  this  position  until  you  enter  the 
back  stretch,  when  you  can  go  head  and  head  with  him 
to  the  half-mile  pole  ;  then  you  can  run  ahead  and  take 
the  track,  keeping  a  lead  of  a  couple  of  lengths  in  the 
clear  till  you  are  within  fifty  yards  of  the  two-mile  dis- 
tance, when  you  can  pull  back  gradually,  allowing  the  Fal- 
con to  beat  you  by  a  neck  to  the  score. 

These  orders  to  the  boy  will  govern  you  in  driving. 
Coming  to  the  score  twice  before  you  start  will  be  a  short 
lesson  in  scoring,  and  you  must  make  the  Falcon  go  at  the 
very  best  rate.  If  he  wants  to  pull,  do  not  gratify  him 
any  more  than  you  can  possibly  help,  but  talk  to  him,  and 
in  place  of  a  hard  pull,  try  to  keep  him  on  his  feet  by 
soothing  words.  Sponge  his  nostrils,  give  him  a  swallow  of 
water,  and  "mount." 

.  PUPIL. — When  I  conclude  the  mile,  shall  I  stop,  or  jog 
on  around  the  track  ? 

PBECEPTOR. — Go  to  the  half-mile  pole,  and  come  back 
moderately  slow,  but  not  slow  enough  so  that  he  will  be- 
come the  least  cool.  I  am  in  hopes  that  he  will  scrape 
after  this  work  ;  and  I  think  he  will,  as  I  look  for  him  to 
work  a  good  deal  harder  than  he  did  in  the  preceding 
mile.  I  will  give  you  the  word  when  I  want  you  to  start, 
and  unless  you  hear  it,  you  can  take  him  up.  If  he  does 
not  act  well,  I  will  delay  the  send-off. 

Bravo ! — 2 : 34,  and  the  last  half  done  in  1 : 16  ;  and  from 


426  HOBSE     POKTEAITUEE. 

the  manner  in  which  he  accomplished  it,  I  have  no  doubt 
of  his  capacity  to  make  another  one  still  faster.  The  rush 
he  made  to  beat  the  runner,  when  he  found  he  was  gain- 
ing on  him,  was  admirable.  Should  you  handle  him  as 
well  in  a  race,  as  you  have  in  this  trial,  I  will  certainly 
have  to  award  you  a  diploma.  Get  him  out  of  the  harness, 
scrape  him,  straighten  his  hair,  and  have  him  walked  till 
he  is  cool  and  dry.  You  can  now  see  the  difference  in 
the  appearance  and  feeling  of  the  sweat,  from  that  which 
exuded  through  the  pores  at  the  commencement.  If  the 
heats  are  broken,  this  fellow  will  make  trouble  for  the  rest 
of  them,  as  his  bottom  and  condition  are  such  that  he  can 
trot  mile  heats  all  day  ;  and  I  would  freely  venture  that 
his  third  heat  will  be  faster  than  either  of  those  preced- 
ing it. 

We  will  now  see  how  Never  Mind  will  go  through  with 
the  ordeal,  and  while  you  are  jogging  him,  the  boy  can  be 
walking  the  runner.  You  will  not  start  him  till  the  repeat 
— the  same  as  we  did  before.  Twice  round  will  be 
sufficient  for  Never  Mind  to  go  slow,  which  you  can  drive 
the  reverse  way  of  the  track,  making  the  last  half  of  the 
two  miles  at  a  pretty  sharp  pace,  and  when  you  come  to 
the  stand  you  can  open  him  for  the  length  of  the  stretch. 
Turn  round  at  the  three-quarter  pole,  come  leisurely  till 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  stand,  when  you  can  go  as 
fast  as  you  choose  for  the  mile.  You  will,  of  course,  have 
to  husband  his  powers  for  part  of  the  time,  and  I  would 
advise  taking  him  in  hand  for  the  first  quarter,  and  again 
on  the  third,  so  that  he  will  feel  like  going  at  his  best  rate 
through  the  stretches.  Drive  him  so  that  you  will  feel 
there  is  always  something  in  reserve,  though  I  should  like 
to  see  him  hurried  at  the  finish,  and  thus  be  able  to  judge 
what  kind  of  a  brush  he  will  be  likely  to  make  at  the  end 
of  a  fast  heat. 

That  is  pretty  near  " trotting-horse  time" — 2:28,  and 


TIIIAL    OF     NEVER     MIND.  427 

stamina  enough  to  make  that  last  rush  with  plenty  of 
resolution.  As  there  is  a  good  scrape  on  him,  you  can 
take  him  out  of  the  shafts,  wrap  him  up  warmly,  walk 
him  a  few  minutes,  and  we  will  scrape  him  on  the  ground. 
I  am  partial  to  scraping  a  horse  in  the  open  air,  when  the 
weather  is  at  all  favorable,  as  frequently  we  have  to  do  so 
when  racing,  and  if  the  job  is  performed  expeditiously, 
there  is  very  little  liability  of  a  horse  taking  cold  ;  none 
at  a,ll  such  a  morniog  as  this.  Again,  you  will  perceive 
that  the  sweat  from  Never  Mind  is  dissimilar  to  that  from 
the  Falcon.  It  shows  a  little  frothy,  and  has  not  the  same 
water-like  feel  that  characterizes  that  of  the  other.  He 
needed  the  work  of  this  trial  more  than  the  Falcon  did. 
and  the  race  will  be  of  still  more  benefit  in  his  case.  "While 
I  am  praying  for  broken  heats  for  the  Falcon,  I  hope 
for  no  such  catastrophe  where  he  is  concerned.  You  can 
pursue  the  same  in  the  next  heat  as  you  did  before,  and 
the  boy  can  ride  in  the  same  manner,  only  I  do  not  think 
it  will  be  advisable  to  make  so  many  false  starts.  Should 
he  be  going  satisfactorily,  I  will  give  you  the  word  the 
second  time  you  come  up. 

PUPIL. — I  suppose  you  want  him  to  show  his  hand  this 
time,  so  I  must  keep  him  going  the  whole  of  the  way. 

PKECEPTOE. — While  I  want  him  to  do  his  best,  I  do  not 
look  for  him  to  be  able  to  keep  up  his  best  rate  the  whole 
of  the  time,  and  in  order  to  have  him  do  the  mile  fast,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  "  bottle "  him  for  some  of  the  way. 
Have  him  well  in  hand  when  I  give  you  the  word,  and 
keep  him  within  his  rate,  till  you  enter  the  back  stretch. 
There  let  him  go  as  fast  as  he  can.  When  the  horse 
takes  the  track  from  him  at  the  half  mile,  ease  him  again 
till  you  are  fairly  straightened  into  the  home  stretch,  and 
from  that  point  to  the  stand,  get  every  inch  out  of  him 
there  is.  Move  the  bit  in  his  mouth,  and  encourage  him 
with  your  voice,  as  the  whip,  severely  applied,  might  cause 


428  HOESE     POKTBA1TZ7BE. 

him  to  "  shut  up."  As  the  running  horse  is  pulled  back 
for  him  to  collar,  keep  him  on  his  legs  if  possible.  If  he 
requires  something  of  a  pull  to  accomplish  this,  you  can 
do  so;  but  try  to  "hold  him  level"  with  the  application 
of  as  little  force  as  you  can  get  along  with. 

That  fellow  is  a  trotter,  if  even  he  did  show  the  white 
feather.  2 : 26,  and  the  half-mile  in  1 : 12  is  tremendous, 
considering  all  things.  Still,  it  is  going  to  require  the  very 
acme  of  condition  to  enable  him  to  win  races  among  horses 
that  are  his  equal,  or  very  near  his  equal,  in  speed.  O 
for  a  little  more  blood !  I  missed  the  quarter  pole  a  little, 
though  I  am  confident  he  went  up  the  back  side  better 
than  thirty-five  seconds,  and  had  he  a  moiety  of  what  the 
Falcon  could  spare,  we  would  have  a  trotter  that  I  would 
not  be  afraid  to  "  tackle  "  any  person's  horse  with.  Hurry 
the  clothes  on  him,  while  I  prepare  some  gruel;  he  is  in  a 
good  deal  of  distress,  and  will  require  the  best  of  attention. 
Observe  the  tremulous  motion  of  the  flanks;  and  he  does 
not  walk  as  he  should.  Take  the  sponge,  and  shower  a 
little  cold  water  on  his  poll,  and  let  it  run  down  his  fore- 
head. Here,  my  boy,  run  and  pull  a  handful  of  grass  for 
him,  which  you  can  let  him  pick  out  of  your  hand  as  he 
walks.  Have  hot  water  ready  to  bathe  his  legs,  and  apply 
the  warm  bandages  as  soon  as  you  are  done.  Give  him 
a  few  swallows  of  gruel,  and  after  he  is  thoroughly  cooled 
out,  fix  up  his  bed,  and  leave  him  to  lie  down  in  quiet  if  he 
will.  Do  not  offer  him  the  mash  until  he  has  had  time 
to  recover,  which  will  be  some  time  after  the  Falcon  has 
had  his.  It  is  fortunate  that  we  have  been  able  to  give 
him  this  work,  as  without  it  he  assuredly  would  have 
tired  in  the  race;  and  if  these  dark  flyers  have  the  speed 
that  is  claimed,  I  am  afraid  he  will  not  be  sufficiently  up 
to  the  mark  to  live  through  it.  They  will  have  to  be  very 
fast,  however,  in  order  to  touch  his  weak  spot,  and  I  think 
we  can  flatter  ourselves  that  he  will  "  pull  through." 


THE     MORNING     OF     THE     RACE.  429 

"With  a  few  hints  for  your  government  in  future,  I  will 
leave  you;  and  as  my  affairs  need  close  attention,  I  will 
not  be  here  again,  but  will  meet  you  at  the  track  the 
morning  of  the  race.  I  have  spoken  to  the  proprietor  for 
stalls,  so  you  will  not  have  any  trouble  on  that  score. 
Take  plenty  of  help  along,  and  more  clothes  than  you 
think  will  be  required.  Rubbers,  scrapers,  sponges, 
buckets,  a  bottle  of  arnica  tincture,  and  one  of  sherry, 
some  oatmeal,  and  whatever  else  you  think  will  be  needed. 
Never  Mind  you  had  better  confine  to  slow  work,  with 
the  exception  of  the  half  mile  more  the  next  morning,  but 
one,  after  you  fag  him  out.  Look  to  his  feeding  yourself, 
and  give  him  all  the  food  he  will  eat  with  a  good  appetite. 
When  the  bandages  are  removed  to-day,  moisten  his  legs 
with  the  arnica,  putting  four  parts  of  water  to  one  of 
tincture,  and  have  the  boys  lightly  hand-rub  them  till 
they  are  dry.  The  Falcon  will  almost  take  care  of  him- 
self. Work  him  as  you  have  been  doing  for  the  past 
week,  and  give  him  the  light  sweat  at  the  same  time  as 
Never  Mind.  I  am  not  much  in  favor  of  giving  a  great 
deal  of  work,  the  morning  of  the  race,  and,  if  the  animal  is 
not  very  rank,  usually  confine  him  to  a  walk.  The  walk 
from  here  to  the  course  will  be  all  that  is  required.  Start 
immediately  after  breakfast,  and  in  an  hour  you  will  be  at 
the  course.  As  the  races  do  not  come  off  till  the  after- 
noon, the  manner  of  your  feeding  last  night  will  be  proper. 
Carry  some  feed  with  you,  and  give  two  quarts  at  ten 
o'clock,  with  only  a  swallow  or  two  of  water.  I  will  be 
there  in  time  to  have  the  stalls  bedded  and  fixed  before 
you  come,  so  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  any  directions 
what  to  do  after  you  get  there. 


19 


CHAPTEE   XXIX. 

NEVER  MINT)    EN    A    RACE — INSTRUCTIONS  FOB  DRIVING — THE 
HEATS — CARE   OF   THE  HORSE  AFTEK  THE  RACE. 

PRECEPTOR. — You  make  a  brave  appearance,  with  Falcon 
heading  the  cavalcade.  He  has  "  the  front  and  port  of 
royalty/'  and  at  the  same  time  he  is  too  well  bred  to 
show  anything  of  curiosity  in  his  deportment.  Before 
we  put  the  horses  in  the  barn,  we  will  drive  Falcon  and 
Never  Mind  round  the  track,  in  order  that  they  may  be- 
come somewhat  familiar  with  the  ground,  and  also  that 
you  may  form  some  idea  of  how  it  lies.  It  is  a  trifle 
unequal  on  its  surface,  and  this  you  can  take  advantage 
of,  by  saving  Never  Mind  where  the  grade  is  ascending, 
and  make  the  pace  as  fast  as  you  think  necessary  on  the 
descent.  The  Falcon  will  bowl  along  up  and  down  hill 
with  the  same  facility,  and  from  what  I  hear  of  his  an- 
tagonists, this  will  be  the  only  way  that  will  enable  him 
to  win.  There  is  no  question  but  that  two  of  the  horses 
that  are  in  the  first  race — the  one  Never  Mind  trots  in — 
are  fast,  though  I  judge  we  have  a  couple  of  seconds' 
advantage  on  this  score.  The  pool  selling  in  town  was  a 
little  mixed,  and  parties  Were  afraid  to  take  any  one  for  a 
decided  favorite.  There  was  not  much  difference  between 
the  two  I  have  mentioned  and  Never  Mind,  the  rest  of 
them  going  for  merely  a  nominal  sum.  If  I  am  not 
mistaken,  the  first  heat  will  rid  us  of  the  trouble  they  will 


NEVEB     MIND'S     CONDITIOH.  431 

occasion,  and  I  would  cheerfully  give  a  hundred  dollars 
.if  they  did  not  start-  in  the  race.  They  will  be  a  great 
bother  in  scoring,  which  to  have  as  little  of  as  possible 
will  suit  us  the  best.  I  have  put  some  money  on,  which 
you  can  have  a  share  of,  but  I  must  confess  that  I  look 
on  this  race  with  a  good  deal  of  suspicion.  If  even  they 
do  beat,  I  would  be  glad  to  wager  that  they  cannot  do  it 
again  in  a  week  or  ten  days  from  now;  so  there  will  be 
this  advantage, — they  will  underrate  us,  and  perhaps  give 
us  a  "better  thing"  when  we  are  in  proper  condition.  Your 
note  informed  me,  that  Never  Mind  recovered  from  the  trial 
better  than  you  anticipated.  How  is  he  feeling  to-day  ? 

PUPIL. — As  finely  as  possible,  and  I  was  indeed  greatly 
surprised  at  the  manner  he  recovered  from  the  trial.  He 
was  in  no  hurry  to  eat  the  mash  that  was  prepared  for 
him,  so  I  only  gave  him  half  the  amount  at  two  o'clock. 
He  took  his  walk  in  good  enough  spirits,  and  as  soon  as 
he  heard  the  feed  room  unlocked,  he  could  hardly  wait,  he 
was  so  impatient  to  get  his  supper.  I  have  given  him  a 
good  deal  of  slow  work,  and  the  brush  you  directed  me  to 
give  was  about  as  fast  trotting  as  I  ever  saw.  You  will 
seet  how  he  will  tail  the  field  to-day,  provided  there  is  any- 
thing in  that  is  fast  enough  to  collar  him.  I  have  more 
hopes  of  his  lasting  than  you  have,  as  I  do  not  look  for 
him  to  be  kept  on  his  tip-toes  in  this  race,  as  when  he  was 
going  with  the  galloper,  and  the  track  is  a  good  deal 
harder  than  the  one  we  have  been  training  on,  which  will 
lessen  the  labor,  even  if  it  does  try  the  legs  and  feet. 

PEECEPTOE. — I  hope  you  will  not  be  disappointed,  though 
I  am  quite  sure  you  will  find  more  speed  to  contend 
against  than  you  at  present  are  calculating  on.  From  the 
parties  who  are  supporting  these  horses,  I  am  confident 
that  they  are  good  ones,  as  they  are  not  the  ones  to  put 
the  amount  up  they  have  already  invested,  unless  they 
have  a  good  thing,  and  although  they  fight  shy  of  each 


432  HORSE     POETEAITUEE. 

other,  you  can  depend  that  they  are  under  the  impression 
that  their  own  horse  is  the  best.  They  have  heard  enough 
of  Never  Mind  to  enable  them  to  bring  him  into  the  bet- 
ting, and  while  they  have  full  faith  in  beating  him,  have 
so  far  kept  him  up  in  the  pools,  in  hopes  that  the  out- 
siders would  continue  the  support,  and  that  they  would 
thus  get  more  money  than  if  he  had  only  been  suffered  to 
bring  the  small  price  the  others  go  for.  When  they  dis- 
cover that  your  chances  are  favorable  to  win,  they  will 
play  into  each  others'  hand,  and  by  driving  one  horse  at 
you  part  of  the  time,  and  laying  the  other  one  up,  get  the 
benefit  of  a  comparatively  fresh  horse,  which  will  make 
the  task  more  arduous  for  you.  These  tactics  will  not 
probably  be  inaugurated  till  after  the  first  heat,  when  we 
can  also  better  determine  the  course  to  pursue.  If  this 
black  fellow  was  only  a  few  seconds  faster,  how  I  would 
like  to  see  them  cut  and  slash  at  him !  That  would  just 
suit,  him  by  keeping  him  alive  to  the  size  of  the  job  he 
had  on  hand.  There  will  be  time  enough,  however,  to 
adopt  a  suitable  defence  when  we  see  the  plan  of  attack. 
I  see  that  you  have  taken  a  wise  precaution  in  bringing 
Mavourneen  to  keep  Never  Mind  company,  as  a  little  ir- 
ritation or  fretting  would  be  injurious.  The  boys  had 
better  take  off  the  clothes,  and  give  the  horses  a  light  brisk 
brushing,  one  or  two  swallows  oi  water,  and  two  quarts 
of  grain*  When  they  have  eaten  this,  put  the  muzzles  on, 
and  do  not  permit  them  to  be  disturbed  until  an  hour 
previous  to  the  time  to  start.  At  that  time,  give  a  pint  of 
grain,  so  that  they  will  not  think  their  customary  feed  has 
been  neglected,  have  the  harness  placed  on  them,  the 
sulky  wheels  taken  off,  the  spindles  carefully  cleaned 
and  oiled,  and  a  rigid  scrutiny  observed  to  see  that 
everything  is  right.  These  duties,  together  with  hav- 
ing all  that  will  be  needed  ready  to  go  on  the  track  the 
moment  the  signal  is  given,  must  be  attended  to,  as  I 


DBIVIKG    TO     EULE.  433 

understand  the  managers  have  signified  their  intention  of 
having  the  rules  scrupulously  enforced.  Fifteen  minutes 
before  three,  the  bell  will  sound  to  call  you  out.  You  will 
have  that  length  of  time  to  warm  up,  and  as  soon  as  the 
watch  shows  that  the  advertised  hour  has  come,  the  horses 
ready  will  be  started,  and  if  there  are  laggards,  they  will 
be  left  behind.  I  have  seen  so  many  bad  consequences 
result  from  delaying  the  time  of  starting,  that  I  am  glad 
they  have  come  to  the  conclusion  to  be  thus  punctual. 
Five  minutes  will  disqualify,  and  when  once  places  are 
drawn  for,  no  entry  that  has  delayed  making  an  appear- 
ance will  gain  admission.  You  can  depend  on  Tom  and 
Con  keeping  a  strict  watch  that  no  one  can  obtain  access 
to  the  horses,  so  we  will  walk  around  the  track,  in  order 
that  you  may  become  as  familiar  with  all  its  features  as 
there  is  any  necessity  for. 

PUPIL. — Here  is  a  place  which  cannot  be  seen  from  the 
judges'  stand,  and  though  the  distance  is  short,  something 
might  be  gained  by  allowing  a  horse  to  "take  a  few  jumps" 
that  would  help  him. 

PRECEPTOR. — My  plan  has  always  been  to  drive  strictly 
to  rule,  and  while  I  took  no  undue  advantage  over  my  op- 
ponents, I  took  care  that  they  should  obtain  none  over 
me.  At  this  point  they  may  endeavor  to  interfere  with 
you,  one  of  them  carrying  you  clear  to  the  outside,  while 
the  other  gets  as  great  a  lead  as  he  can.  Eunning  would 
be  rather  dangerous,  as  a  horse — even  if  a  good  breaker 
— is  sometimes  a  little  crochety,  and  might  loose  more  in 
recovering  than  he  gained,  and  should  a  horse  emerge 
from  the  shadow  in  a  run,  the  judges  would  be  very  apt 
to  conclude  that  it  was  intentional  on  the  part  of  the 
driver,  which  would  subject  him  to  the  penalty  of  a  dis- 
tance. The  track  is  certainly  in  good  order  for  making 
fast  time,  and  though  the  afternoon  will  be  warm,  the  air 
is  not  oppressive  yet,  and  I  do  not  think  it  likely  to  be- 


434  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

come  so.  We  will  pay  the  house  a  visit,  where  an  early 
dinner  is  intended,  so  that  it  will  be  out  of  the  way  before 
the  rush  comes.  We  will  eat  ours,  when  we  can  relieve 
the  boys  and  stand  guard  while  they  are  taking  in  their 
provender.  Your  boys  are  certainly  models,  not  only  at- 
tentive and.  careful  in  the  performance  of  their  duties,  but 
they  seem  to  take  pride  in  them,  and  their  appearance  is 
as  neat  and  tidy  as  those  whose  business  is  not  near  so 
trying  on  the  clothes. 

PUPIL. — I  feel  proud  of  them.  Formerly  they  cared  for 
nothing,  and  when  their  work  was  done,  would  listlessly 
saunter  about.  The  money  they  earned  was  as  good  as 
thrown  away,  and  they  seemed  to  have  an  abhorrence  of 
clean  clothes.  Since  they  have  acquired  a  taste  for  read- 
ing— a  taste  which  I  have  cultivated  as  far  as  I  could — the 
change  has  been  marvellous.  They  now  aspire  to  know- 
ledge that  will  fit  them  for  any  station,  pertaining  to  the 
management  of  horses,  and  are  all  of  them  saving  money 
so  as  to  make  the  winter  months  the  most  profitable,  by 
going  to  school,  when  I  will  warrant  they  will  be  indus- 
trious hi  remedying  the  defects  the  want  of  education  in- 
flicts. Perhaps  the  partial  seclusion  of  private  training- 
grounds,  has  assisted  in  keeping  them  away  from  the 
temptations  they  have  been  accustomed  to,  though  I  feel 
there  is  no  danger  of  a  relapse,  and  shall  look  for  them  to 
make  valuable  men,  when  their  education  is  completed. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  lessons  on  order  that  have  been  incul- 
cated, have  made  those  boys  worth  double  the  money  they 
would  have  been,  if  they  had  not  acquired  this  great 
quality.  Everything  about  the  stable  shows  the  care  that 
has  been  taken,  and  the  clothes,  harness,  and  vehicles,  are 
not  only  in  better  condition,  but  will  last  three  times  as 
long  as  if  they  had  been  neglected;  and  the  satisfaction 
of  having  such  well-behaved  and  good-looking  boys  is 


PREPARATIONS.  435 

more  than  remuneration,  sufficient  to  repay  you  for  the 
trouble  you  have  taken  with  them. 

This  dinner  hardly  equals  those  you  are  accustomed  to, 
though  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  confusion  at- 
tendant on  preparing  for  a  race  day.  Sandwiches,  tarts, 
doughnuts,  &c.,  are  consumed  in  such  quantities,  that  it 
must  be  as  hungry  a  job  to  witness  the  contests  as  your 
friend  deems  it  dry. 

PUPIL. — Shall  I  limit  the  Falcon  to  a  pint?  His  race 
may  be  delayed  for  quite  a  time  after  the  other,  and  he  is 
very  ravenous  in  his  desires. 

PRECEPTOR. — The  object  in  giving  the  horses  any  grain 
now,  is  to  stop  them  worrying  about  the  want  of  the  feed 
they  have  been  accustomed  to,  and  not  for  any  actual 
necessity  for  the  sustenance.  Digestion  cannot  take  place, 
and  whatever  we  give  will  only  be  in  the  way.  The  two 
quarts  they  eat  at  ten  o'clock  has  probably  been  assimilated. 
That,  and  the  vigorous  state  they  are  in,  ought  to  carry 
them  through  these  races  without  any  weakness  accruing. 
Should  it  arise,  we  will  give  temporary  relief  by  using  cor- 
dials and  stimulants,  which  will  not  interfere  with  the 
capacity  to  perform  fast  work.  You  want  plenty  of  clothes 
— woolen  and  linen — scrapers,  rubbers,  sponges,  foot  pick, 
buckets,  water,  oatmeal  gruel,  bandages,  knee  and  quarter 
boots,- the  bottle  of  .sherry,  &c.  I  do  not  think  we  will  re- 
quire the  boots,  though  it  is  good  policy  to  have  them  on 
hand,  and  still  better  luck  not  to  need  them.  You  had 
better  slip  a  pair  of  hand-pieces  on  the  reins.  You  need 
not  pull  on  them  any  harder  than  you  would  if  they  were 
absent,  and  they  are  of  service  by  being  placed  at  the 
right  length,  which  a  wrap  might  not  be,  making  your 
reins  of  unequal  length. 

Now  we  are  ready  for  the  signal,  and  not  a  moment  too 
soon,  as  there  goes  the  first  tap.  Don't  get  in  a  hurry, 
but  hitch  up  the  same  as  if  you  were  going  out  to  the 


436  HOESE     POBTBAITUKE. 

usual  exercise.  The  quarter  of  an  hour  before  the  starfc 
you  can  jog  him  slowly,  going  two  miles  in  the  time,  and 
not  till  you  have  drawn  your  place  and  received  instruc- 
tions from  the  judges,  will  it  be  well  for  you  to  speed  him. 
There  will  undoubtedly  be  some  trouble  in  getting  off, 
which  will  be  warming  up  enough,  and  you  must  use  every 
endeavor  not  to  prolong  the  start.  Do  not  drive  any 
faster  than  is  neccessary,  though  if  you  obtain  the  inside, 
do  not  give  it  up  unless  you  are  forced  to.  Still,  it  will 
be  preferable  to  lose  it,  rather  than  get  your  horse  un- 
steady on  the  first  quarter.  You  are  fortunate  in  getting 
the  second  place,  though  the  horse  that  has  the  pole  is  one 
of  the  fast  ones.  'Lie  with  him  until  you  come  to  the 
straight  work  on  the  back  stretch,  when  you  can  take  the 
pole,  if  you  are  able.  Should  you  effect  this,  ease  your 
horse  so  that  he  will  have  to  take  the  outsi&e  of  you  on 
the  lower  turn,  and  thus  equalize  the  advantage  he  had 
on  the  first. 

Hurrah  !  One  heat  won,  and  won  handily,  though  here 
are  two  spokes  gone.  How  did  that  happen  ? 

PUPIL. — As  you  noticed,  I  pulled  back  on  the  turn,  and 
as  we  entered  the  stretch,  I  was  half  a  length  behind. 
When  I  let  loose  of  Never  Mind — which  was  at  the  place 
where  we  were  out  of  sight  of  the  stand — he  tried  to  pull 
across  me  and  force  me  to  the  outside.  I  would  "not  be 
crowded,  and  I  rather  think  he  had  the  worst  of  it,  as  I 
saw  a  big  gap  in  his  wheel. 

PRECEPTOJR. — You  did  right.  If  you  had  avoided  the 
collision,  it  would  have  emboldened  him  to  take  further 
advantages.  Now,  boys,  remove  the  harness,  and  one  of 
you  wipe  the  sweat  off.  Throw  on  that  long  blanket  and 
woolen  hood,  sponge  out  the  horse's  mouth  and  nostrils, 
and  walk  him  a  few  minutes.  There,  that  will  do;  turn 
his  head  to  the  wind  and  scrape  him  as  expeditiously  as 
you  can.  Put  on  the  clothes,  and  walk  him  again.  You 


AFTER     THE     FIRST     HEAT.  437 

can  now  re-scrape  him,  give  him  a  mouthful  of  water, 
straighten  the  hair  with  your  rubbers,  throw  the  blanket 
and  hood  on,  leave  off  the  sway  and  surcingle,  and  walk 
him  four  or  five  minutes.  He  sweats  freely,  and  is  cooling 
and  recovering  capitally.  His  breathing  has  now  become 
natural,  so  you  can  dry  up  these  remaining  wet  patches. 
Rub  lightly:  his  coat  is  looking  almost  as  glossy  as  before 
the  start.  Put  a  linen  sheet  and  hood  on:  the  woollen 
might  cause  him  to  break  out  again,  and  the  day  is  so 
warm  that  the  only  clothing  required  is  to  keep  the  sun 
off.  Now  walk  him  about  slowly  till  the  bell  rings  to 
harness. 

Well,  my  scholar,  I  feel  as  proud  of  you  as  you  do  of 
your  boys.  You  drove  that  heat  admirably,  and  by  giving 
my  old  friend  that  you  run  into  a  hint  of  what  he  might 
expect,  he  will  be  a  little  careful  of  how  he  tries  you 
again.  If  you  had  shown  any  symptoms  of  fear,  the  case 
would  Have  been  different;  and  when  he  started  to  cross 
you  on  that  part  of  the  track  where  he  knew  his  motions 
would  be  unobserved,  he  little  thought  that  you  would 
not  give  way.  From  his  not  entering  any  complaint,  he 
is  aware  that  he  was  wrong,  and  though  he  will  do  his 
utmost  to  win,  you  can  rely  on  his  not  attempting  that  a 
second  time.  The  next  heat  will  be  more  desperate,  as 
flyer  No.  Two  has  not  shown  what  he  is  capable  of  yet, 
and  I  noticed  he  kept  about  the  same  relative  position 
until  he  was  stopped  inside  of  the  distance.  As  I  pre- 
dicted, the  race  is  now  confined  to  you  three,  and  you  will 
be  relieved  of  the  trouble  of  scoring  with  horses  that  are 
so  much  slower.  The  advantage  your  inside  position  gives 
is  a  good  deal,  and  if  the  race  could  be  brought  to  a  close 
with  this  heat,  I  would  feel  positively  certain  of  winning 
it.  I  judge  from  the  rush  to  the  pool  seller's  station  that 
matters  have  changed  somewhat  in  the  betting,  and  there 
is  an  anxiety  to  get  on  to  the  winner  of  the  heat.  The 


438  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

lack  of  condition  is  not  apparent  yet,  though  I  am  fearful 
it  will  show  before  two  more  heats  are  finished.  All  the 
trouble  I  look  for  them  to  give  you  now  is  trying  to  obtain 
the  best  of  the  start,  and  as  long  as  they  do  not  get  lead 
enough  to  take  the  pole  before  you  reach  the  turn,  I  would 
not  care  if  they  had  half  a  length  the  advantage.  Again 
the  signal  is  given.  We  must  not  lose  any  time  in  getting 
ready.  By  always  trying  to  give  the  judges  as  little  trou- 
ble as  possible,  we  gain  their  favorable  opinion;  and  a 
driver  who  gains  a  reputation  of  not  being  troublesome, 
will  receive  more  favors  than  one  who  is  always  wrang- 
ling. Boys,  sponge  Never  Mind,  and  allow  him  one 
swallow  of  water.  Two  to  one  you  win  this  heat. 

Bravo,  again !  Two  of  the  games  towards  the  long  rub- 
ber ;  though  that  was  a  harder  and  faster  heat  than  the 
other,  and  Never  Mind  shows  a  good  deal  more  distress. 
His  legs  are  shaky,  and  his  breathing  more  labored.  Wrap 
him  up  as  soon  as  you  can.  Walk  him  along  till  you  get 
out  of  the  way  of  the  crowd.  He  scrapes  freely,  which  is 
one  great  thing  in  his  favor.  Another  swallow  of  water. 
Now  off  with  him.  You  may  give  him  a  mouthful  of  gruel. 
I  think  we  will  not  use  the  sherry  yet,  as  I  would  much 
rather  he  would  get  along  without  it.  He  does  not  cool 
out  as  well  as  he  did  before.  Hold  his  head  to  the  breeze, 
and  shower  some  water  on  his  poll.  That  will  do:  his  eye 
looks  a  little  brighter.  Walk  him  again,  when  you  can 
finish  drying  him. 

PUPIL. — That  was  a  different  affair  from  the  first  heat  ; 
No.  Two  is  a  good  deal  the  best  horse.  I  was  afraid  Never 
Mind  was  going  to  quit  when  about  a  quarter  of  the  way 
down  the  home  stretch,  and  when  the  other  horse  made 
the  rally,  he  would  have  given  me  more  trouble  than  he 
did  if  he  had  not  left  his  feet.  Well,  I  hope  it  has  been 
as  hard  for  him  as  it  was  for  me,,  though  from  his  having 
an  easy  heat  of  the  first,  it  is  not  likely. 


THE     THIRD     HEAT.  430 

PIIECEPTOB. — No  telling.  I  notice  a  good  deal  of  com- 
motion among  the  party,  and  their  horse  may  not  be  in  a 
much  better  fix  than  ours.  We  must  disguise  our  weak- 
ness as  much  as  we  can,  and  must  therefore  be  prompt 
at  the  ringing  of  the  bell.  He  is  now  getting  along  better, 
and  he  does  not  labor  so  much  in  breathing,  having  re- 
covered more  rapidly  than  I  expected  he  would,  from  his 
appearance  at  the  termination  of  the  heat.  His  eye  has 
also  regained  its  animation,  so  we  will  endeavor  to  win 
this  heat,  without  the  aid  of  anything  but  a  sup  of  the 
gruel.  Save  him  all  you  can  consistent  with  keeping  the 
lead,  which  you  had  better  retain,  your  horse  being  more 
apt  to  lose  courage,  when  the  others  are  in  advance  of 
him.  • 

Well,  our  flag  is  lowered,  and  that  heat  is  lost.  We  will 
not  throw  up  the  sponge,  however,  until  compelled.  You 
will  observe  how  differently  he  breathes  now  from  what  he 
did  after  the  first  heat.  The  respirations  were  quicker  then, 
but  he  "  blew  out "  forcibly,  and  there  was  not  so  much  ab- 
dominal effort.  He  still  sweats  freely,  which  will  aid  in  re- 
covering him  from  internal  difficulty.  Kub  him  dry  rapidly, 
and  while  the  boys  are  at  work,  envelop  the  legs  with 
bandages,  putting  them  on  reasonably  snug.  Pick  a  little 
grass  for  him  to  be  eating.  You  were  only  beaten  at  the 
very  last,  and  I  thought  you  had  the  race  safe  until  you 
were  half  down  the  stretch. 

PUPIL. — He  first  tired  a  little  beyond  the  half-mile  pole, 
and  as  I  could  take  a  pull  coming  round  the  turn,  I  was 
in  hopes  he  would  recover  sufficiently  to  come  home.  But 
the  driver  of  the  other  horse  seemed  to  discover  for  the 
first  time  the  difficulty  I  was  in,  and  kept  sending  his 
horse  as  fast  as  he  could,  so  there  was  no  chance  for  me 
to  save  him  unless  I  surrendered  the  inside.  I  did  not 
think  it  policy  to  do  so,  and  Never  Mind  struggled  along 
with  more  resolution  than  I  expected.  It  was  a  very  closo 


440  HOESE    POBTKAITUEE. 

thing,  and  I  had  hopes  of  winning  to  the  last,  or  I  should 
have  pulled  him  up. 

PRECEPTOR. — It  was  well  that  you  kept  going,  as  your 
antagonist  also  exhibited  signals  of  distress,  and  the  horse 
that  was  saved  on  the  last  half  mile  will  now  hope  to  win, 
which  will  give  us  a  better  chance.  If  these  two  will 
only  make  fight  for  this  next  heat,  we  will  win  the  race 
yet. 

PUPIL. — I  am  afraid  they  will  not,  as  they  are  evidently 
in  collusion.  As  you  could  see,  one  horse  was  driven  at 
me  for  the  half  mile,  when  his  driver  pulled  him  to  the 
outside,  allowing  the  horse  that  was  trailing  to  come  up, 
without  trotting  round  the  other.  This  was  a  great  saving 
to  the  winner  of  the  heat,  and  not  having  been  pushed, 
he  could  make  this  brush  at  the  turn,  where  he  lapped  me 
with  impunity.  Perhaps  the  sherry  will  revive  Never 
Mind  so  that  he  can  win  this  next  heat.  Is  it  not  time 
that  we  were  giving  it  to  him  ? 

PRECEPTOR. — It  would  be,  if  I  intended  to  give  it  this 
*ieat.  But  I  think  there  is  a  better  plan  to  follow.  We 
mil  lay  him  up  this  heat,  and  allow  the  others*  to  struggle 
for  mastery,  and  before  the  next,  we  will  give  him  the 
timulus.  By  dropping  him  inside  the  distance,  he  will 
partially  recover,  and  then,  with  the  aid  of  the  sherry,  I 
think  he  will  trot  the  fifth  heat  nearly  as  fast  as  he  did  the 
third,  which  will  be  sure  to  win.  I  am  confident  that 
both  parties  are  anxious  to  win,  and  while  they  would 
"  double  team  "  on  you,  as  soon  as  they  think  your  chances 
are  out,  will  endeavor  to  gain  the  race  from  each  other. 
Never  Mind  will  go  comparatively  at  his  ease,  when  he 
has  the  benefit  of  the  eight  seconds  which  he  can  avail 
himself  of.  To  get  the  full  benefit,  you  will  have  to  be 
very  careful  to  lose  the  ground  gradually.  In  going  the 
sixteen  hundred  and  sixty  yards  while  the  others  are  mak- 
ing the  mile,  it  will  be  as  well  for  you  to  be  within  twenty 


THE     FOURTH     HEAT.  441 

yards  of  the  leader  at  the  quarter,  forty  yards  at  the  half 
mile,  and  seventy  at  the  three-quarters,  when  you  can 
drop  the  balance  coming  down  the  stretch,  and  pull  up  as 
soon  as  you  are  inside  of  the  reel  flag.  If  possible,  aid  the 
outside  horse  in  getting  the  best  of  the  send-off,  and  drop 
immediately  behind  the  leader.  This  will  aid  you  in  two 
ways — your  own  horse  will  be  more  likely  to  go  easier, 
and  give  the  one  that  has  not  won  a  heat  the  chance  to 
commence  the  contest  at  once,  without  losing  ground  in 
going  around  you.  They  are  very  jubilant  over  winning 
this  trick,  and  could  hardly  stop  shouting  when  they  knew 
they  had  gained  it.  Never  Mind,  the  advice  is  good  not  to 
halloo  till  out  of  the  woods,  and  they  will  find  there  is 
some  very  tall  timber  to  traverse  before  the  clearing  is  in 
view.  Delay  a  little  this  time — not  enough  to  try  the 
patience  of  the  judges,  but  sufficient  to  have  them  imagine 
you  are  more  anxious  than  you  are  to  gain  time. 

Upon  my  word,  you  did  it  well,  and  the  horse  dropped 
back  so  gradually  that  it  appeared  as  though  he  was  too 
tired  to  do  more  than  save  his  distance,  and  speculations 
were  rife  that  he  would  be  "  shut  out."  He  is  not  near  so 
much  distressed  as  he  was  in  the  previous  heat,  and  has 
recovered  wonderfully.  Barring  accidents,  I  would  not 
give  five  per  cent,  to  be  insured  this  race.  He  is  now  sell- 
ing for  a  trifle  in  the  pools,  and  we  must  deputise  some 
one  to  buy  him  in  all  of  them,  provided  he  can  do  it  with- 
out engendering  suspicion.  You  attend  strictly  to  cooling 
him  out.  I  will  go  and  arrange  the  pool  matter,  and  take 
a  look  at  the  other  horses.  I  will  be  back  in  time  to  give 
him  the  wine.  What  a  fall  we  could  give  these  fellows  if  we 
were  only  in  prime  condition  so  that  we  could  give  away 
another  heat !  Each  one  of  them  having  won  one,  there 
would  be  no  danger  to  let  them  struggle  again  as  they  did 
in  this,  and  in  the  following  one  they  could  both  the 
distanced. 


442  HOKSE     POBTEAITUKE. 

They  do  not  give  Never  Mind  a  thought,  and  those  who 
have  put  a  few  dollars  on  him  are  loud  in  their  denun- 
ciations and  contemptuous  notices,  characterizing  him  as 
a  dunghill,  shoemaker,  and  every  opprobious  epithet  they 
can  think  of.  We  will  now  give  him  a  little  more  than 
half  a  pint  of  sherry,  mixed  with  the  same  amount  of  wa- 
ter. Give  him  a  swallow  of  gruel  first.  I  really  believe 
he  has  a  taste  for  that  twenty-year-old  juice,  as  he  licks 
his  lips  and  looks  better  pleased  than  he  has  for  some 
time.  Walk  him  very  slowly,  and  have  everything  in 
readiness  before  the  bell  rings. 

That  summons  from  the  judges  was  to  acquaint  me 
that  a  complaint  had  been  made  that  you  were  not  trying 
to  win,  and  praying  that  they  would  appoint  another 
driver.  It  is  ten  to  one  that  it  is  the  work  of  those  who 
are  betting  on  the  other  horses,  hoping  to  have  a  driver 
selected  whom  they  can  control.  Well,  the  benefit  of  a 
good  name  rarely  fails  one  in  an  emergency.  The  judges 
have  known  me  for  many  years,  and  when  I  assured  them 
we  were  determined  to  win,  if  we  could,  they  required  no 
other  guarantee,  in  spite  of  the  clamors  of  the  complain- 
ants. This  forcing  a  change  of  drivers  cannot  be  too 
strongly  reprobated,  and  I  would  recommend  that  the 
evil  of  pulling  horses  be  abolished,  by  punishing  those 
who  do  it  so  severely,  that  they  will  not  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  doing  it  again,  rather  than  by  taking  the  man- 
agement away  from  those  who,  being  more  conversant 
with  the  horse,  know  the  best  manner  of  handling  him  to 
win.  I  presume  the  man  I  sent  to  buy  pools  has  followed 
the  instructions  too  closely,  buying  every  one  till  it  was 
apparent  that  Never  Mind  had  claims  they  were  over- 
looking. 

In  driving  this  heat  you  can  make  a  rush  at  the  start, 
and  take  the  pole  at  once,  or  you  can  lie  closely  behind 
till  you  enter  the  home  stretch.  I  am  satisfied  that  you 


THE     EACE     WON'.  443 

can  win  in  either  way,  and  would  advise  you,  if  you  get 
the  best  of  the  start,  to  adopt  the  first  plan  ;  and 
if  you  do  not,  you  can  follow  the  other.  If  you  find  that 
you  are  likely  to  have  the  advantage  in  starting,  get  on 
the  very  outside  of  the  track,  and  strike  a  straight  line  for 
the  inside  at  the  commencement  of  the  turn.  But  be  very 
careful  that  you  leave  plenty  of  room  for  the  other  horses, 
so  that  they  cannot  have  a  shadow  of  reason  for  entering 
a  complaint.  When  you  get  the  track,  ease  him,  as  I  have 
directed  before,  and  while  you  keep  lead  enough  to 
prevent  them  bothering  you,  there  will  be  no  necessity 
for  opening  much  of  a  gap. 

There,  boys,  you  can  cheer  now,  if  you  desire  to  do  so, 
though  I  always  prefer  to  see  people  when  victorious  ex- 
hibit no  more  excitement  than  they  can  help,  and  accept 
defeat  with  the  same  equanimity.  To  you,  my  scholar,  I 
must  offer  my  congratulations  on  the  skill  you  have  shown 
in  driving,  when  the  chances  of  defeat  appeared  greatly 
to  overweigh  those  of  success,  following  my  orders  when 
another  course  might  have  looked  better.  You  frightened 
me  at  first  by  appearing  a  little  nervous  before  you  took 
your  seat  in  the  sulky,  though  I  saw  you  were  as  cool  as 
a  veteran  when  you  became  engaged  in  the  actual  contest. 

The  judges  have  announced  a  postponement  of  the 
other  trot,  so  one  of  the  boys  can  go  to  the  barn,  and  give 
the  Falcon  half  a  pail  of  water  and  a  little  hay.  Never 
Mind  will  require  and  deserves  the  best  attention.  Scrape 
what  water  you  can  from  his  coat,  clothe  him,  walk  a  few 
minutes,  and  bring  him  to  the  barn.  Con,  you  go  to  the 
house  and  get  a  couple  of  buckets  of  hot  water.  When 
you  have  him  rubbed  dry,  take  both  foot  tubs  and  bathe 
his  legs  from  the  knees  and  hocks  to  the  feet,  then  put  the 
bandages  on  and  walk  him  for  ten  minutes ;  I  will  pre- 
pare a  mash.  When  the  boy  is  walking  him,  give  him  a 
sup  or  two  of  gruel,  and  allow  him  to  pick  a  little  hay  out 


444  HORSE    PORTRAITURE. 

of  the  hand.  The  mash  must  contain  ingredients  that 
will  act  as  a  cordial  and  tonic,  and  the  water  he  drinks 
can  be  acidulated  with  the  cream  of  tartar.  I  will  make 
the  mash  with  two  quarts  of  the  hominy  and  oats,  and  the 
same  amount  of  wheat  bran,  a  table-spoonful  of  sulphur 
and  ground  charcoal,  a  tea-spoonful  of  powdered  golden 
seal,  and  the  same  amount  of  fenugreek  seed.  This  mash 
must  be  made  with  boiling  water  and  given  when  still 
warm.  When  the  walk  is  finished,  give  two  quarts  of  the 
oatmeal  gruel,  and  while  he  is  being  cleaned  and  brushed, 
he  can  be  allowed  to  eat  a  small  quantity  of  ha\,  and  the 
mash  proffered  him.  Should  he  appear  to  have  no 
appetite,  make  up  his  bed,  and  by  shutting  up  the  stable 
he  may  lie  down  for  an  hour  or  two,  when  a  little  of  the 
tepid  acidulated  drink  can  be  given. 

From  his  appearance,  I  judge  there  will  be  no  trouble 
in  getting  him  to  eat;  therefore  you  can  give  him  the 
mash  before  he  lies  down.  In  three  hours  more  his 
clothes  can  be  taken  off,  his  body  lightly  wisped,  the  band- 
ages removed,  and  his  legs  well  hand-rubbed.  Should 
there  be  any  swelling  or  heat  perceivable,  the  tubs  must 
again  be  used,  bathing  his  legs  with  hot  water  for  an 
hour,  when  dry  them,  and  bandage,  after  having  thoroughly 
moistened  them  with  tincture  of  arnica,  diluted  with 
twice  its  bulk  of  water.  His  walk  to-morrow  morning 
should  be  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  clothed  so  that  he  will 
be  comfortable,  but  not  too  warm.  He  must  be  gradually 
returned  to  his  full  feed  and  exercise,  and  if  he  does  as 
well  as  I  think  he  will,  two  days  will  be  the  farthest  time 
that  will  be  required.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  to  give  him 
two  quarts  of  the  mixed  hominy  and  oats,  and  three 
pounds  of  hay,  before  shutting  up  the  stable  for  the  night. 
In  the  morning  give  him  half  his  usual  feed,  and  after  he 
has  finished  the  walk,  he  can  be  permitted  to  pick  grass 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Two  hours'  walk  in  the  after- 


BOOTS     AND     ROLLS.  445 

noon  will  not  be  too  much,  provided  his  legs,  or  rather 
his  joints,  be  not  swollen,  and  the  following  morning  he 
can  be  jogged  three  miles,  with  a  brush  the  length  of  the 
stretch. 

PUPIL. — Did  you  observe  the  amount  of  leather  one  of 
these  horses  wore?  I  counted  eight  boots  on  his  fore 
legs  alone. 

PRECEPTOR. — There  seems  to  be  a  passion  amongst  some 
men  to  cover  a  horse's  legs  with  boots,  and  though  there 
are  horses  that  have  to  wear  them  to  protect  some  part 
from  injury,  more  are  generally  used  than  necessity  re- 
quires. I  have  known  people  to  use  them  for  fear  a  horse 
might  hit  himself,  although  the  animal  had  never  shown 
any  cause  for  being  thus  hampered.  I  prefer  to  take  the 
pains  that  will  guarantee  safety,  by  looking  closely  to  the 
shoeing  and  handling,  and  find  that  in  nine  cases  in  ten 
the  result  is  satisfactory.  Our  best  harness-makers  now 
keep  a  supply  of  boots,  from  which  the  most  fastidious 
can  suit  themselves,  though  I  must  admit  a  predilection 
for  more  simple  contrivances,  which  often  prove  fully  as 
effectual.  Light  buckskin  rolls,  stuffed  with  hair,  or 
circlets  of  India-rubber  tubes,  will  guard  the  pasterns  as 
well  as  the  heavy  leathern  ones.  For  instance,  a  horse 
rarely  hurts  the  quarters  with  the  outside  of  the  toe  of 
the  shoe  ;  the  injury  is  done  with  the  inside  of  the  web  or 
calking,  and  if  this  catches  on  a  roll,  in  place  of  the  heel, 
the  foot  slips  off  without  doing  injury.  The  shin  is  often- 
times better  protected  with  a  bandage  than  by  the  most 
elaborately  contrived  boot  that  ever  was  made  ;  while 
the  knee  can  be  clad  with  strips  of  strong  cloth  envelop- 
ing the  part,  and  fastened  with  an  elastic  tape  above  the 
joint,  the  upper  part  being  turned  over,  making  a  double 
thickness  for  the  foot  to  strike  against.  Should  the 
protection  be  needed  above  the  knee,  on  the  inside  of  the 
arm,  the  folds  are  put  on  thicker,  and  the  cloth  not 


446  HOUSE    PORTRAITURE. 

turned  over,  but  allowed  to  extend  upwards  as  far  as  is 
required.  This  does  not  need  to  be  fastened  more  than 
firmly  enough,  so  that  it  will  not  slip  over  the  knee,  for  if 
it  turns  on  the  leg,  the  protection  is  still  the  same.  That 
some  of  the  very  fastest  trotters  are  "  booted  all  over,"  is 
not  a  proof  that  wearing  boots  is  beneficial,  as  it  may  be 
safely  laid  down  that  anything  unnecessary  is  an  injury. 

This  postponement  of  the  race,  while  it  has  favored  us 
by  giving  us  plenty  of  time  to  attend  to  Never  Mind,  I  am 
afraid  will  result  in  a  longer  delay  than  we  will  like.  See 
how  quickly  the  sky  is  becoming  overcast,  and  the  distant 
thunder  and  the  flashes  of  lightning  are  premonitory 
symptoms  that  the  storm  is  near  at  hand. 

This  long,  hot,  "  dry  spell  of  weather  "  has  culminated, 
and  I  will  venture  the  prophecy  that  we  will  have  a  lapse 
of  several  days  before  the  "  day  and  track  "  are  both  good. 
We  can  tell  better,  however,  before  bed-time,  when  the 
Falcon  can  either  be  prepared  for  to-morrow's  race,  or 
the  muzzle  removed,  and  he  be  allowed  his  usual  quantity 
of  fodder. 


APPENDIX, 

DEXTER 

HIS  MEASUREMENT  AND  DESCRIPTION. 

As  a  further  illustration  of  Dexter,  aside  from  the  very 
correct  engraving  that  forms  the  frontispiece  of  this 
volume,  I  subjoin  measurements  taken  in  Chicago,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1867  —  and  comparing  them  with  those  of 
Lecomte,  Leviathan,  Eclipse,  and  Doubloon. 

I  was  much  gratified  to  find  that  these  measurements 
— which  were  carefully  taken — tended  to  prove  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  positions  in  Horse  Portraiture,  and  that 
this  noted  horse,  acknowledged  to  be  superior  to  all  others 
that  had  preceded  him,  was  formed  after  the  model  recom- 
mended as  being  the  best  for  a  fast  and  lasting  trotter. 

In  instituting  the  comparison  between  him  and  the 
four  noted  thoroughbreds  included  in  the  tabular  state- 
ment, I  wanted  to  see  whether  he  "approximated  towards 
the  form  of  the  thoroughbred,"  or  whether  he  had  other 
characteristics,  that  would  prove  the  configuration  of  the 
blood  horse — conceded  to  be  the  best  for  racing  speed — • 
was  not  required  for  fleetness  of  movement  in  the  roadster.- 
Fortunately,  Lecomte  and  Dexter  are  very  nearly  of  the 
same  size,  in  height,  length,  and  girth,  the  two  measure- 
ments being  identically  the  same,  and  the  only  difference 
in  the  circumference  of  the  chest  being  three-quarters  of 


448  APPENDIX. 

an  inch.  As  the  height  and  length  would  not  be  varied  by 
the  amount  of  flesh  each  one  carried,  it  is  safe  to  assume 
that  these  two  horses,  so  noted  in  their  respective  classes, 
were  of  a  size.  The  estimates  arrival  at,  from  a  con- 
sideration of  the  data  afforded  by  this  detailed  measure- 
ment, should  be  nearly  correct;  and  when  we  find  a  horse 
agreeing  with  them,  we  may  confidently  look  for  a  good 
one,  provided  he  is  not  deficient  in  nerve  force,  which 
cannot  be  so  accurately  measured.  Both  horses  gave 
evidence  of  the  possession  of  that,  by  their  performances, 
and  each  one  displayed  it  to  the  eye  educated  in  detecting 
this  wonderful  power.  These  measurements  were  taken 
in  the  stall  and  with  the  assistance  of  Peter  Conover,  who 
has  had  the  horse  in  charge  for  several  years,  and  I  was 
much  pleased  with  the  docility  of  his  charge,  who  stood 
very  quietly  while  the  tape  was  placed  in  the  most  trying 
positions  to  a  nervous  animal. 

The  height  was  arrived  at  by  placing  him  on  a  plank, 
laying  a  square  on  his  withers  in  a  level  position,  and 
measuring  with  a  tape  line  from  point  to  point.  Some  of 
the  measurements  could  not  be  arrived  at  with  the  same 
accuracy,  as  the  length  of  neck,  back,  &c.  But  when  the 
corresponding  points  were  definitely  fixed,  great  care  was 
taken  that  the  results  should  be  exact. 


MEASUBEMENTB  OF  p  ^  ^  H  Q 

inches  inches  inches  inches  inches 

Height  of  withers 62  62  64  61  60 

Length  of  head 25  24  23f  23f  23$ 

"  "  neck 25  31  30  25  25* 

Round  the  muzzle 19  ..  18$  20f  18 

"  swell  of  jaws 33  . .  26  . .  32 

Length  of  back 23  21*  18  19  19 

From  hip  to  hip  over  the  loin 19  24  19  . .  23 

Round  the  body  at  girth 68J  69  72  74  Tl 


DEXTEB.  449 


11111 

MEAStTBKMENTS  OP  Q  g  ^  f§  P 

inches  inches  inches  inches  inches 

Round  the  flank,  over  the  loin 65  68  72  74  71 

Elbow  to  ground 36}  36  37*  36*  35} 

Round  the  arm  at  swell 19$  20$  22  21  $  20 

knee 13  12$  12$  12}  12* 

cannon  midway 8  8$         9  7}  7$ 

hock 14}  16  16J  16f  15$ 

cannon,  hind  leg 8$  8$          9$          8$  8$ 

From  po  nt  of  hip  to  point  of  hock 40£  41  42$  37£  38$ 

"  hock  to  ground 23  25  25  24|-  22 

From  po  nt  of  shoulder  to  point  of  buttock 62  62  69  65}  64 

Round  stifle   39}  39  40          . .  32 

"     tibia 17  ..  18  18}  17 

"      neck,  at  the  head 31}  29  30          31  30* 

"         "       "body ...  42$  ..  47          45  53 

"      the  barrel 71  74  ..          ..  78 

from  point  to  point  of  shoulder 13  15 

"      back  of  knee  to  the  ground 19 

"         "     "      "    to  middle  of  pastern 11 

Length  of  hip 22  


In  looking  over  the  tabular  statement  of  their  respective 
measurements,  and  comparing  those  of  Dexter  with  the 
others,  no  great  divergence  is  manifest.  Dexter's  head  is 
long,  longer  than  either  of  the  others,  although  the 
thoroughbred  characteristics  are  plainly  developed.  There 
is  no  superfluous  flesh,  and  while  the  tape  line  shows  him 
to  be  larger  in  the  swell  of  the  jaws,  he  is  beautifully 
carved  out  below  the  eyes  till  the  muzzle  is  finer  than 
Eclipse  and  in  the  same  proportion  to  the  upper  part  as 
Doubloon.  In  considering  the  neck  and  its  relative  pro- 
portions with  the  others,  the  disagreement  is  reconciled 
from  the  fact  that  they  were  entire,  while  the  emascula- 
tion of  Dexter  would  take  away  from  the  measurement  at 
its  base  more  than  at  the  setting-;  n  of  the  head.  At  this 
point  he  is  finer  than  would  be  inferred  from  his  being 
larger  than  the  others,  the  thickness  being  in  a  horizontal 


450  APPENDIX 

direction,  while  the  windpipe  is  so  much  detached  that 
the  line  was  carried  away  quite  a  distance  from  the  lower 
part  of  the  neck.  The  length  of  a  horse's  back  would 
hardly  be  agreed  upon  by  two  men  measuring  the  same 
animal  at  different  periods.  The  length  given  in  the  table 
is  from  the  springing  of  the  withers  to  the  "  coupling." 

A  line  from  the  posterior  part  of  the  shoulder-blades 
to  the  hip  would  take  away  enough  from  the  twenty-five 
inches,  to  render  his  back  no  longer  than  that  of 
Eclipse  or  Doubloon.  The  distance  from  "hip  to  hip 
over  the  loin "  shows  that  the  points  of  his  hips  are  more 
elevated  than  the  rest,  with  the  exception  of  Leviathan, 
which  is  also  shown  by  the  great  distance  from  the  "point 
of  the  hip  to  the  point  of  the  hock."  The  girth  depend- 
ing greatly  on  the  condition  of  the  horse,  and  the  pre- 
sumption being  that  Leviathan,  Eclipse,  and  Doubloon 
were  not  in  training  when  the  measurements  were  taken, 
and  that  Lecomte  and  Dexter  carried  about  the  same 
flesh,  their  lower  condition  would  account  for  the'  dis- 
crepancy in  the  circumference  of  the  chest. 

The  same  remark  will  apply  to  the  measurement  round 
the  flank,  which  could  he  still  more  varied  by  the  stomach 
being  full  or  empty,  the  length  of  time  in  training,  &c. 

The  next  distance  in  the  table  is  the  height  of  the  elbow 
above  the  ground  surface,  which  is  the  same  as  in  Eclipse 
who  was  an  inch  lower,  one  inch  greater  than  Doubloon, 
two  inches  being  the  variation  in  their  height,  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  less  than  Leviathan,  and  three-quar- 
ters more  than  Lecomte.  There  is  therefore  no  marked 
distinction  in  this  point.  We  now  come  to  a  measurement 
showing  the  volume  of  muscle  in  a  place  that  is  acknowl- 
edged to  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  rapid  progression, 
viz:  the  circumference  of  the  arm  at  the  swell.  These 
muscles  acting  on  the  ligaments  and  tendons  which 
extend  the  fore-leg,  and  the  power  with  which  they  act, 


D  E  X  T  E  E .  451 

and  the  celerity  of  their  dilatation  and  construction, 
govern  the  length  and  quickness  of  the  stride.  While  it 
is  impossible  to  say  from  an  outside  measurement  which 
is  the  most  muscular  animal  when  there  is  only  a  third  of 
an  inch  less  diameter  in  the  arm,  and  when  harder  or 
longer  continued  work  had  fined  down  the  tissue  in  one 
more  than  the  other,  and  while  the  effect  between  gallop- 
ing or  trotting  in  augmenting  the  muscular  development, 
cannot  be  definitely  stated,  Lecomte  was,  and  Dexter  is, 
a  very  powerful  animal  in  this  particular,  which  further 
consideration  will  certainly  show. 

"Around  the  knee"  Dexter  is  larger  than  any  of  the 
others,  the  place  where  the  measurement  was  taken  being 
squarely  across  the  bony  projection,  to  which  the  back 
muscles  are  attached  by  their  tendons.  The  measurement 
around  the  cannon,  being  only  exceded  by  Leviathan  and 
Lecomte,  shows  that  he  is  the  equal  of  a  majority  of 
thoroughbreds  in  this  particular.  'Not  only  is  the  size 
analagous,  but  the  appearance  is  similar,  and  his  legs 
show  the  preponderance  of  the  racing  blood  that  flows  in 
his  veins.  Around  the  hock  he  is  smaller  than  any  that 
I  am  comparing  him  with,  and  after  an  hour's  critical  ex- 
amination, the  most  faulty  point  I  could  find  was  the  shape 
of  his  left  hock. 

There  is  a  little  fullness  observable  in  the  lower  and 
outer  portion  of  the  joint,  which  I  have  no  doubt  has 
always  existed.  The  hardest  usage  might  never  effect  it, 
as  I  have  seen  much  worse  withstand  the  wear  and  strain 
of  several  season's  racing.  Still,  in  an  animal  otherwise 
as  well  formed  as  Dexter,  it  is  a  great  pity  that  this  defect 
should  exist.  The  off  hock  is  finely  shaped,  and  the 
width  above  them  is  greater  than  is  usually  seen.  "  From 
point  of  hip  to  point  of  hock  "  he  will  compare  favorably 
with  the  very  best,  while  from  the  last  mentioned  point  to 
the  ground,  the  distance  is  less  than  any,  save  Doubloon. 


452  APPENDIX. 

This  configuration  has  always  been  recognized  as  a  mark 
of  speed,  and  many  of  our  best  race  horses  have  exhibited 
this  formation.  There  have  been  exceptions  as  was 
instanced  by  Don  John,  a  horse  of  the  greatest  speed  and 
endurance,  and  while  I  would  have  no  objections  to 
greater  length  in  the  metatarsal  bones,  a  majority  would 
prefer  a  horse  to  be  "  well  let  down  in  the  hocks "  after 
the  fashion  of  Boston  and  Dexter.  Both  of  these  horses 
were  comparatively  long  in  the  posterior  measurement 
occasioned  by  the  great  length  of  os  calcis;  and  the  angles 
of  the  propelling  limb  are  such  as  a  good  judge  would 
pronounce  to  be  proper  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  duties 
required  of  them,  moving  in  a  way  that  would  be  the 
least  exhaustive  of  the  power  furnished  by  the  muscles. 

The  measurement  around  the  stifle  is  tremendous,  and 
it  was  only  after  several  readjustments  of  the  tape  that  I 
could  be  satisfied  we  had  got  it  correctly.  Larger  than 
all  except  the  great  horse  Leviathan,  and  then  only  lack- 
ing a  quarter  of  an  inch,  where  the  other  was  seven  inches 
longer  in  body,  is  certainly  very  remarkable.  The  volume 
of  muscles  covering  the  framework,  is  the  reason  for  this 
large  girth,  and  the  merest  tyro  in  equine  anatomy  will 
readily  see  the  effects  of  having  such  a  magazine  of  power 
to  propel  the  body  along. 

The  lower  thigh  is  larger  than  usual,  and  though  not 
equaling  Leviathan  or  Eclipse,  yet  being  the  same  as 
Doubloon,  a  horse  that  was  more  than  ordinarily  power- 
ful, shows  that  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  muscles  located 
at  a  higher  point.  The  circumference  of  the  barrel  is 
about  in  relative  proportion  with  the  others,  taking  the 
girth  of  the  chest  and  flank  as  criteria  to  be  guided  by. 
This  gives  the  wedge-like  form,  the  very  best  configura- 
tion for  speed  and  lastingness.  "  From  point  to  point  of 
shoulder"  the  distance  is  shorter  than  Lecomte,  and  to 
those  familiar  with  both  these  horses  the  aid  of  a  tape 


D  E  X  T  E  E  .  453 

line  would  not  be  necessary  to  point  this  out.  The  race 
horse  was  "  as  thick  through  as  a  hay-stack "  to  use  an 
English  expression,  while  the  trotter,  though  showing  n;> 
want  of  substance,  is  rather  more  delicately  formed. 

In  giving  these  various  measurements,  it  is  not  intended 
to  reduce  the  characteristics  of  conformation  to  mathemat- 
ical rules,  and  thus  try  to  fix  an  absolute  guide  to  perfec- 
tion of  form.  But  from  finding  that  a  great  majority  of 
first-class  performers  on  the  racing  arena  are  "fashioned 
after  a  particular  pattern,"  it  is  fair  to  conclude,  that  the 
fast  trotter  also  has  an  outward  reason — patent  to  the 
observing  eye — why  he  is  capable  of  excelling  in  his  man- 
ner of  progression. 

That  Dexter 's  form  "  approximates  to  the  first-class  race 
horse"  cannot  be  doubted  by  any  one  who  will  study 
these  comparative  measurements,  while  his  general  ap- 
pearance brings  the  parallel  still  closer. 

I  found  from  a  close  examination  of  him  in  his  stall 
that  this  highbred  appearance  was  more  apparent  than 
when  in  harness,  or  when  seeing  him  at  speed  on  the 
track,  and  I  will  now  try  to  convey  the  idea  of  "what  sort 
of  a  looking  horse  is  Dexter,"  a  question  I  have  heard 
asked  a  thousand  times. 

In  color  he  is  a  brown,  with  shades  of  a  lighter  hue,  the 
more  prominent  parts  being  so  light  as  to  come  under  the 
denomination  of  bay.  This  shading  is  very  pleasing  to 
me,  bringing  into  prominence  the  muscles,  and  softening 
down  the  more  angular  portions  of  his  frame.  The  white 
marking  in  his  face  is  different  from  any  of  the  prints  or 
pictures  that  I  have  seen.  In  place  of  coming  round  more 
under  the  left  eye  than  the  right,  it  narrows  alike  on  both 
sides,  following  truly  down  the  nose  nearly  to  the  nostrils, 
where  it  diverges,  covering  almost  the  whole  of  the  upper 
lip.  The  white  legs  are  truthfully  depicted  in  the  engrav- 
ino-  His  coat  is  silky,  ths  hair  in  the  mane  and  tail  being 

20 


454  APPENDIX. 

fine.  There  are  a  few  small  flesh-colored  spots  under  the 
eye  and  along  the  sides.  His  head  is  large  and  bony, 
very  well  shaped,  and  showing  in  the  full  rounded  fore- 
head, and  in  the  expression  of  the  eye,  that  the  nerve  force 
predominates  to  an  unusual  extent.  The  eye  itself  is 
beautiful,  prominent,  and  clear,  with  a  small  speck  of 
"glass"  in  the  lower  corner  of  each,  giving  greater  effect 
to  the  brilliant  hazel  of  the  eyeball.  His  ears  are  long, 
slender,  in  fact  just  the  ear  that  is  represented  as  gracing 
the  head  of  the  Falcon,  and  which  adds  in  my  estimation 
more  to  the  beauty  of  the  horse  than  any  other  point  of 
adornment  whatever.  He  carries  them  well,  and  whether 
at  rest  or  in  motion,  they  are  sure  to  attract  attention. 
His  neck  is  of  medium  length,  slightly  drooping  in  front 
of  the  withers  with  very  little  elevation  of  crest.  The  head 
is  finely  joined  to  it,  and  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  the 
windpipe  between  the  jaw-bones. 

His  shoulder  is  very  good,  the  scapula  falling  back 
obliquely  into  the  sway,  while  the  point  is  well  advanced, 
and  the  leg  falls  truly  from  thence  to  the  ground. 

He  "  forks "  beautifully,  and  very  few  race  horses  equal 
Lim  in  this  respect,  or  are  superior  in  the  form  of  the 
Brisket.  The  knee,  as  shown  from  the  measurement,  is 
large  and  broad,  with  the  bony  projection  behind  well 
developed.  There  is  a  small  splent  on  the  near  fore-leg, 
but  far  enough  from  the  tendons  and  joint  so  that  it  never 
can  do  injury.  His  pasterns  are  oblique  and  of  good 
length,  without  showing  any  appearance  of  weakness;  the 
joints  round,  and  giving  no  evidence  that  the  many  races 
he  has  trotted  has  effected  them  in  the  least.  Like  the 
race  horse  there  are  no  long  hairs  on  the  upper  pastern. 
His  feet,  though  white,  are  first-rate,  and  it  is  a  singular 
circumstance  that  the  frog  in  each  one  is  black,  though 
the  sole  surrounding  them  is  the  same  color  as  the  wall. 
His  middle  piece  is  good  being  very  deep  through  the 


DEXTER.  455 

heart,  with  the  curvature  of  the  ribs  increasing  to  the 
centre  of  the  barrel.  The  spine  rises  in  front  of  the 
coupling,  giving  him  an  arched  loin,  yet  not  high  enough 
to  look  unsightly.  His  back  ribs  might  be  a  little  longer, 
though  they  approach  the  hip  very  closely;  and  were  it 
not  that  the  stifles  are  placed  unusually  low,  this  would 
surely  interfere  with  his  great  speed.  This  conformation 
then  adds  to  his  endurance,  while  the  speed  is  not  sac- 
rificed, owing  to  the  placing  of  the  stifles.  His  hip  is  long 
and  sloping,  with  the  tail  set  on  low.  The  effect  of  a  slop- 
ing hip  has  been  fully  considered  in  the  chapter  on  form, 
and  it  would  be  useless  to  rehearse  it  here. 

With  the  exception  mentioned  about  the  near  hock,  his 
hind-legs  are  first-rate,  muscular,  with  those  of  the  upper 
thigh  and  stifle  predominating,  yet  there  is  a  balance  kept 
up  and  the  long  firm  muscles  are  appropriately  terminated 
in  large  tendons. 

The  hamstring  is  very  large,  and  the  back  cords  are  of 
fine  size  and  stand  out  well  from  the  bone.  There  is  no 
puffiness  about  the  hocks  or  pasterns,  or  any  appearance 
to  indicate  that  the  work  he  has  had  has  been  prejudicial 
to  them.  In  this  respect  his  legs  look  better  than  when 
I  saw  him  last  year,  as  then  there  was  a  tendency  to 
cracking  in  the  heels,  of  which  there  is  no  symptom  now. 
Standing  squarely  behind  him,  a  person  is  astonished  at 
the  power  shown  from  the  loin  to  the  gaskin.  Though 
the  hips  are  wide  and  somewhat  ragged,  the  stifles  are  still 
wider,  and  at  the  hazard  of  being  thought  tedious,  I  can- 
not refrain  from  again  calling  attention  to  this  develop- 
ment. The  muscles  that  run  from  the  ileum  to  the 
femur  are  so  large  that  when  the  horse  walks  they  become 
apparent  to  the  eye,  ridging  the  skin  as  if  striving  to 
break  through  the  silky  covering,  while  kindred  masses 
so  extend  the  quarters  that  he  fills  up  a  breeching  that 
would  be  too  long  for  a  much  larger  horse. 


456  APPENDIX 

Forty-two  and  a  half  inches  was  the  measurement  from 
stifle  to  stifle  around  where  the  breeching  would  come. 
He  is  very  compactly  formed  underneath  the  tail,  "well 
pocketed"  as  I  have  heard  old  horsemen  express  it,  and 
not  divided  like  a  pair  of  tongs. 

Standing,  where  a  side  view  can  be  obtained,  the  gray- 
hound  form  is  observable.  The  deep  chest,  receding  flank, 
sloping  hip,  long  thigh,  and  short  cannon,  placed  at  the 
proper  angle,  are  after  the  model  of  the  fleetest  of  animals, 
while  the  hare-formed  brisket  and  perpendicular  fall  of 
the  front  leg,  with  the  elastic  spring  of  the  sloping  shoul- 
der and  pastern,  show  that  the  power  applied  will  have 
no  inert  mass  to  move,  but  the  rebound  will  equal  that  of 
the  rubber  ball  when  it  strikes  the  ground.  The  front 
view  shows  the  mass  of  brain,  the  expressive  eye  and  ear, 
the  large  nostril,  the  barrel  swelling  on  each  side  of  the 
shoulders,  and  behind  that  the  curved  line  of  the  immense 
quarters.  Standing  squarely  on  his  feet,  the  toes  of  the 
front  ones  are  fairly  in  line,  owing  to  the  proper  placing 
of  the  elbow,  which  is  parallel  to  his  body,  while  the  hind 
have  a  slight  outward  inclination,  due  the  position  they 
got  from  the  hock.  There  is  nothing  in  his  appearance  to 
show  that  other  than  royal  blood  runs  in  his  veins,  and 
were  he  placed  in  a  stable  of  race  horses,  his  pedigree 
would  not  be  questioned  from  his  looks,  sooner,  than  many 
that  have  distinguished  themselves  on  the  legitimate  turf. 
One  of  the  great  tests  of  blood  is  the  fine  texture  of  the 
hoofs  :  this  Dexter  has.  Another  is  the  thinness  of  the 
skin,  and  prominence  of  the  superficial  veins:  these  he 
also  possesses.  Width  between  the  jaw-bones,  and  the 
sharpness  of  their  edge,  characterize  him  as  well  as  those 
that  are  higher  bred.  His  walk  is  exactly  that  of  the  race 
horse.  From  weighing  these  distinctive  marks  of  breed- 
ing, I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  only  blood  in  him  other- 
wise than  that  ot  the  race  horse,  is  that  which  he  obtains 


DEXTER.  457 

from  his  great-grandsire,  imported  Bellfounder,  and  that 
the  purer  has  completely  obliterated  that  and  canceled  its 
bad  effects. 

His  manner  of  going  is  peculiar  to  himself,  and  while 
his  trotting-gait  is  as  even  as  the  movement  of  a  well-con- 
structed watch,  he  goes  with  so  much  power  that  he  fairly 
makes  the  track  jar  with  the  energy  of  his  motion.  This 
I  think  is  due  to  the  long  sweep  from  the  hip  to  the  hock, 
and  the  tremendous  force  of  the  muscles  between  these 
two  points.  I  saw  an  illustration  of  this  in  his  late  race 
in  Chicago.  In  coming  to  the  score  with  Brown  George 
and  running  mate,  he  detached  a  ball  of  clay  from  his 
shoe  ;  it  flew  into  the  air  like  a  bomb  projected  from  a 
mortar,  and  describing  the  same  kind  of  a  curve,  fell  adja- 
cent to  the  three-in-five  distance  stand. 

The  Chicago  track  is  constructed  with  a  coating  of  clay 
laid  on  the  natural  soil  of  the  low  prairie.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  elasticity,  or  rather  there  is  a  vibratory  motion 
when  the  horses  pass  over  it,  perhaps  more  sensibly  felt 
in  the  judges'  stand  than  any  other  place.  I  feel  positive 
that  I  might  have  been  blindfolded  and  placed  in  the 
stand,  and  all  the  horses  at  the  park  driven  by  at  speed, 
when  I  could  have  selected  Dexter  from  the  throng  ;i 
dozen  times  in  succession,  from  the  greater  jar  that  he 
gave  the  building. 

"While  other  horses  on  the  turf  may  possess  as  much 
speed,  as  is  instanced  by  the  trotting  with  a  running  mate, 
they  are  incapable  of  keeping  it;  while  Dexter  commences 
at  the  outest,  and  the  brush  lasts  till  his  anticipated  task 
is  completed.  There  is  no  faltering,  clambering,  or  dwelling, 
but  the  steady  rate  is  persevered  in,  and  the  powerful 
stroke  kept  up  with  the  same  ease  with  which  Kentucky 
or  Asteroid  takes  his  daily  exercise.  I  have  not  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  Kentucky  since  he  was  two  years  old, 
but  have  seen  the  other  great  horse  run  in  many  of  his 


458  APPENDIX. 

races,  and  I  have  been  struck  with  the  parallel  between 
his  racing  and  Dexter's  trotting.  Asteroid  starts  at  a 
sweeping  rate,  at  the  tap  of  the  drum,  his  competitors 
straining  every  nerve  to  keep  up.  They  do  so  for  a  time, 
and  when  they  fall  off,  you  wonder  what  has  been  the 
cause.  You  see  no  change  in  the  son  of  Lexington  and 
Nebula:  he  comes  in  winning  "in  a  big  gallop"  as  the 
boys  say,  but  that  gallop  has  been  enough  to  break  the 
heart  of  his  adversaries,  without  actually  being  a  measure 
of  his  own  powers. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  I  am  gratified  to  find 
the  form  of  Dexter  agreeing  with  that  recommended  in 
chapter  twenty-six,  and  also  his  great  resemblance  to  a 
first-class  race  horse. 

Recognized  as  being  the  only  type  that  will  answer  for 
continued  rapid  exertion  at  the  natural  fast  pace  of  the 
horse — the  gallop,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
the  perfect  symmetry  only  found  in  the  blood  horse,  or 
those  nearly  allied  to  him,  is  an  advantage  that  cannot  be 
overlooked  in  the  trotter. 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

ABD ALLAH,  Description  of 808 

ALLONGING 170 

The  colts  in  the  snow 368 

ANATOMY,  A  knowledge  of,  necessary  to  un- 
derstand the  frame  of  the  horse 228 

ANDREW  JACKSON,  Pedigree  of 805 

ARIEL,  Pedigree  of 811 

Preponderance  of  Messenger  blood . .  56 

ABTERIKS  and  veins 263 

BANDAGES,  How  to  apply  them  after  a  sweat- 
ing    299 

Length,  breadth,  etc Ill 

How  to  put  on 114 

The  duties  of,  wet  and  dry,  etc..  113 
When   they  ought  to  be  used  for 

support 114 

BATH,  Turkish  or  Koinan,  benefit  of 186 

BEARING  or  check  rein,  "  Kemble  Jackson" 

check 177 

BEDDING,  Material  of—  Straw,  sawdust,  sand.  294 

BEESWING 20 

BIT,  Curb,  practical  exemplification  of 181 

BITS,  Different  varieties  of 175 

for  sore  mouths 183 

Leather  and  silk 177 

BITTING 169 

BLANKETING,  when  giving  the  first  sweats..  298 

BLINDERS,  their  uses 247 

BLISTERING 135, 136 

BLOOD,  Benefit  of 

Benefit  of,  in  trotters 42 

Changes,  how  a  rapid  pace  affects  it..  261 

BLOOD-HORSES,  Longevity  of 

BOLTING,  Dangers  of,  how  to  remedy 47 

BOOTS,  Contrivance  to  take  their  place 445 

For  May-day 203 

BRAIN,  The  seat  of  nerve  force 893 

Evidence  of  a  large 895 

Large,  necessity  of 82 

BRAN  and  bran  mashes 252 

BREAKING  from  a  trot,  importance  of  teach- 
ing a  horse  not  to  break 83 

Importance  of  obedience  to  com- 
mands    335 

Recovering  a  horse  from  a  break  231 

Stallion 71 

BEBEDING,    Advantages    of    a    mixture    of 

French  blood 46 

The  Messenger  blood 308 

In,  necessary  to  establish  a  fixed 
type 58 


PAGE 

BREEDING,  Pleasure  of 43 

BRIDLES,  how  they  should  fit 247 

BUILDINGS  on  breeding  farms,  adornments..     67 

CALLUSES  formed  by  pulling. 25 

CAMP  Life. 29 

CARRYING  the  tongue  out  of  the  mouth .  182 

CAUTERIZING,  The  benefits  of 419 

CHARMER  and  Betsey  Malone 129 

CHIFNEY'S  Instructions 177 

CLIPPER,  Description  and  history  of 44 

Grazing  and  alterative  medicine  for 

him 185 

His  first  brush 408 

How  his  legs  will  have  to  be  treated  407 
How  to  cure  him  of  bolting  and 

breaking 47 

The  treatment  pursued  wit 886 

Want  of  condition,  ailment,  etc 45 

CLOTHING 114, 115 

After  the  sweat,  and  when  cooling 

out 298 

For  first  sweats,  amount  of,  and 

how  to  put  it  on 297 

Injury  from  using  it  too  often 20 

COLIO,  Poisoning  horses  with  colic  drenches  227 

COLTS,  Breaking,  first  lessons 166 

By  Andrew  Jackson— One-eye 805 

Fall  and  wi  nter-quarters 60 

General  description  of  the  colts  in  the 

"  Trial  Stable" 217 

How  a  wild  colt  was  broken 200 

How  to  be  treated  when  yearlings. . .  124 

Learning  young  colts  to  eat 58 

Playing  in  the  field 148 

Preparing  fall  pasturage  for  the  wean- 
lings    59 

Proper  method  of  working 899 

Kemoval  of  parasites,  mercurial  oint- 
ment      69 

Require  cow's  milk  at  times 70 

Scouring,  remedies  for 226 

Should  be  driven  with  and  without 

blinds 248 

Stakes,  the  benefits  of 142 

The  care  of  them  during  the  winter..     68 

Uses  of  the  check-rein 171 

Variety  of  food  necessary 125 

When  and  how  to  wean 59 

Winter  rations 60 

Wrong  way  of  rearing  27 

CONDITION,  tests  of 881 


460 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

CORN,  Indian 358 

CORONARY  ligaments,  enlargement  of,  taken 

for  ringbone 228 

COUNTRY  Lite 207 

CUTTING,  A  heavier  shoe  may  remedy  it 204 

Between  the  hoof  and  pastern  of 

hindfoot 78 

Do.,  do.,  roll  to  prevent 203 

Dangers  of,  on  a  half  mile  track..  205 
How  to   determine,  by  painting 

the  foot 204 

How  to  dress  the  wound. .... ....  880 

The  quarters i 95,  97,  98 

The  quarters  from  bad  shoeing.    .  379 

DECAKBONIZATION  of  the  blood 286 

DECORATION  of  horses 116 

DENTITION 173 

DEXTER 447 

Comparison,  measurements,  etc. 448 

Description 449-458 

DIFFERENCE  between  trotting  and  running..  184 
DIRECTION  for  work  in  the  Preceptor's  ab- 
sence    1 74 

DISTRESS,  internal,  how  to  relieve  it 278 

DRAWBACKS  to  training  in  early  days 30 

"  DRAWING  FINE  " 268 

DRIVER,  Qualifications  for  a 423 

DRIVERS,  Peculiarities  of 231 

DRIVING,  Bad  driving  the  reason  for  a  horse 

grabbing 98 

How  to  handle  the  reins 24 

Necessity- of  "light  hands" 25 

On  the  road 187 

Skill  in 413 

ELBOW,  How  to  prevent  injury  to 814 

ENGLISH  Colts,  Their  appearance  when  year- 
lings   128 

EXERCISE,  Necessity  for  it  at  all  times 148 

EXPERIMENTS  to  show  the  effects  of  a  high 
check 178 

FALCON,  The,  His  form,  description  and  ped- 
igree   31-35 

His  first  trial 425 

History  of 35-il 

History  of  work,  condition,  etc 384 

Instruction  for  driving 402 

Preceptor  drives  him  on  the  road 194 

Preparation  for  a  ten  mile  race 289 

Preponderance  of  Messenger  blood  in  306 

Weisht  of  his  shoe 98 

FARM,  Breeding  52-55 

FAT,  Diminution  of  it  essential 185 

Effect  of  inside  fat  on  the   heart  and 

lungs 260 

How  it  is  deposited  and  absorbed  262 

Necessity  for.  when  commencing  train- 
ing  .... 185 

Necessity  for  removal 263 

Outside 265 

"Taking  on" 268 

FEED,  How  to  prepare 251 

Mixture,  hominy,  oats,  bran,  etc 252 

The  effects  of.  in  different  horses 224 

FEEDING,  "  Poor     Feeder,"     causes    when 

young 27 

The  number  of  feeds,  time  of  giv- 
ing, quantity,  etc  137 

FEED-BOOM  should  be  locked,  and  why 253 


1»AGB 

FKET,  Care  of,  picking,  washing,  etc  ........  376 

Effect  of  muddy  roads  on  ............  149 

Position  of  the  feet  in  trotting  and  run- 
ning, illustrated  with  a  diagram  .....  409 

PENCE  for  track  ............................   1  64 

FIRING,  Percival's  opinion  of  ...............  419 

FOOD,  Hay,  cornblades,  straw,  etc  ..........  34!) 

Table  of  comparative  values  ..........  356 

FORM  ....................................  32-35 


The  best  form  for  a  trotter,  and  the  rea- 
sons why  such  a  configuration  is  the 


best 


3SS-392 


GEN.  GRANT  naming  a  colt  at  the  Illinois 
fair.  ....................................     153 

GOVERMENTAL  aid  .........................  149 

GRASS,    Benefits  of,  why  better  than  bran 
mashes  ..................................  201 

GRAZING  and  sngo  gruel,  comparison,  etc  ...  3fiO 

GROOMING  and  rubbing  sometimes  overdone  loT 

Crueltyin  ......................  109 

Currycomb  and  brush,  how  to  be 
nsed  ...........................  106 

Rubbing  cloths,  wisp,  how  to  use 
them  ........................  ..  Ill 

The  reasons  for,  and  effects  of.  ....  107 

HALF-BRED,  The  English  definition  of  .......  127 

HAIR  Mittens,  Benefits  of,  for  a  thin-skinned 
horse  ....................................  110 

HARNESS,  how  to  adjust  ....................  280 

HARNESSING,  Necessity  of,  care  in  ..........  2'29 

HAY,  Best  quality,  how  to  determine  it...     349 
Different  kinds  ..........  .............  352 

Prairie  hay,  medicinal  effects  of  ......  354 

Time  for  feeding,  when  training  ......  356 

"  HIPPODROMING"  ..........................  145 

HlPPOPATIIOLOGY  .........................    225 

HlPPOPIIYSIOLOGY  ..........................    259 

HIRONDELLE,  Pedigree  and  characteristics.  .  .    78 
Over  trotting  herself  ...........     78 

HIRONDELLE'S  Manner  of  trotting  ..........  205 

HOMINY  ....................................  252 

ICE,  A  race  on  the  ice  in  Chicago  ...........  237 

Benefits  of  driving  on  the  ice  ...........  285 

INJURY  from  lying  on  the  shoe  ..............  313 

IOWA,  Advantages  of,  for  breeding  horses,  .  .  74 

JANE,  Description  and  pedigree  of  ..........     22 

Commencement  of  her  trotting  educa- 
tion ...............................     23 

Further  instructions  for  driving  .....  4(!4 

How  she  should  be  shod  .............     99 

How  to  drive  her  ....................  233 

KEMBLK  JACKSON  check  ...................  179 

KICKING  straps.  .  ,  ..........................  251 

KINDNKSS  must  be  enforced  ...............  108 

KING,  His  history,  etc.,  extreme  wildness..  .     85 
KNEE  boots  ...............................     26 

Hitting  it,  caused  by  wrong  set  of  the 
elbows  ............................     25 

Instrument  to  cure  hitting  ..........     26 

Treatment   for    enlargement  of,    old 
standing  .........................     99 

Do.,  do.,  recent  injury  ..............     99 

LESSONS  in  breaking  .......................  375 

LEXINGTON  and  Sallie  Waters  ...........  ....     81 

At  the  St.  Louis  Fair  ..........     82 


INDEX. 


461 


PAGE 

LOCKJAW  from  careless  shoeing 104 

Treatment  of 105 

LONG  and  short  horses 397 

MAMBRINO  CHIEF,  Pedigree 

MARE  that  would   not  stand,  how  she  was 

cured 196 

MAKES,  Accommodation  for  brood 68 

Breeding  in  and  in 58 

Gestation  and  parturition,  nursing.     70 

How  to  feed 

Proper    manner   of   feeding  brood- 
mares  ^ 59 

•  The  proper  kind  to  breed  from 57 

"Winter  quarters  for 69 

MARTINGALE,  long  and  short,  their  effects.. .  281 

Further  remarks  on 244 

MASH,  how  to  make 291 

MAT-DAY,  Appearance,  description,  etc 76 

Boots  and  rollers  to  prevent  cut- 
ting hind  pastern 

Faults  of  her  form 77 

Heavy  shoes, the  consequence  of..  841 

Her  first  drive 292 

Her  manner  of  going,  how  to  cor- 
rect, etc 202 

Time  of  her  first  Trial 412 

M AVOURNKKN,  Description  of 81 

MKSSENGKR  and  his  descendants 

History  of,  his  location 319 

MUSCLES,  Removal  of  fat  from  the  interstices.  265 

NAMING  Farms 

NARROWNESS   of  skull  a  token   of   want  of 

sense 20 

NECK,  Effects  of  sweating  on 266 

Large  neck,  why  it  is  prejudicial 267 

NEVER  MIND,  Description  of 19 

Care  and  food   after   his  first 

I"  sweat 312 

Cuts    his  quarter,  what  occa- 
sioned it 380 

Examination  of  him  after  the 

brush 271 

His  condition . .  * 431 

His  first  brush 257 

His  first  race 435 

His  first  sweat,  how  to  clothe 

and  treat 295 

His  manner  of  walking 221 

Morning  of  the  race 429 

Necessity  for  grazing 222 

Preceptor's    opinion    of    him 

after  driving  him 199 

The  trial  of 427 

The  work  given  him,  appear- 
ance, etc  885 

Treatment  of  the  night  before 

his  first  sweat 293 

Weight  of  shoe  proper  for  him    97 
Wins  after  a  hard  struggle  and 

broken  heats 448 

NOMENCLATURE 20 

OATS,  Amount  of  husk 357 

Description  of  good,  how  they  should 

be  prepared 251 

Mixing  hominy,  the  proportion,  etc. . .   252 
Reasons  for  mixing  hominy  with  them  'J54 

When  and  how  to  feed 359 

OLD  time  trotters 821 


PAGH 

ORDER  must  be  enforced  in  stable  duties....  117 
ORIOLK  ....................................    81 

PADDOCKS,  How  to  construct  ...............    58 

PHYSIC,  Courses  of,   in  the  old  system  of 

training  ...............   ......  222 

Danger  of  ..........................    48 

How  it  acts  .......................  228 

How  to  reduce  a  horse  without  phy- 
sic .............................  223 

Reason  for  discarding,  in  training...  222 
PRAIRIE,  A  western  ........  .'  ...............    73 

PULLING  horses,  how  remedy  the  evil  .......  176 

On  one  rein  .......................  180 

On  the  bit  detrimental  ...........  246 

QUALITY  in  horses  .................  ........  156 

QUEEN  MARY  .............................    21 

RACE,  After  care,  feeding,  management,  etc.  448 
Care  between  heats  ..................  437 

How  to  feed,  etc.,  etc  .................  435 

Mornins  at  .........................  441 

Never  Mind's  first  race,  description  of 
it  .................................  437 

Preparation  for  a  .....................  435 

RAREY'S  plan  of  breaking  will  not  always  do    86 
RESPIRATION  ...............................  261 

ROADSTER,  The  model  for  a  .................  387 

RUBBERS,  Qualification  for  good,  ...........  109 

Benefit  of  encouraging  them  to 
read  ................  ..........  109 

RUBBING  cloths,  best  material  for  ...........  Ill 

RULES  for  the  stable  .......................  108 

RUNNING,  The  sound  made  by  horses'  feet 
when  running  ...........................  204 

RYSDYK'S  Hambletonian,  Pedigree  of.  ........  804 

SAGO,  Its  uses  ..............................  859 

SEASONING  ......................  ..........  269 

SHAKSPERE'S  description  of  a  race-horse  .....  140 


SHOEING,  Advantages  of  a  swedged  rim 

Difference  of  for  various  horses. 
Effects  of  weight  on  the  action.  . 
Form  of  the  shoe,  swedging 
How  the  foot  should  be  pared 
Lockjaw  from  bad  shoeing 


Manner  of  weighting  to  avoid  hit- 
ting the  knee 


96 
95 

98 

94 

97 

104 

99 


Plan  of  nailins,  how  to  "clinch."..     94 
Shoe  for  the  hind  foot  .............     95 

Shoes  and  plates  ..................     98 

Sole  should  not  be  cut  ............     97 

Singular  instance,  of  lameness  from 
a  "split  nail"  ...................  220 

SILVER  LAKE,  Pa.,  Description  of  ............  190 

SKIN,  How  exudation  takes  place  ...........  262 

SKEWERS,  How  they  should  be  made,  their 
uses,  etc  ..................................  Ill 

3MOKING  not  to  be  tolerated  in  the  stable...  .     81 

SPEED  ensures  bottom  ........  ..............  141 

SPONGING  OUT"  ..........................  878 

STABLE,  Arrangement  of  the   horses  in  the 

"Trial  Stable"  ...................  106 

Furniture,  rules,  etc  ................  108 

How  it  should  look,  location,  etc  ----    50 

Interior    arrangements    for    twenty 
horses  .......  ~  .....................  181 

Management  .......................   105 

Octagonal  .........................  .  133 

Plan  for  a  training  stable  ...........  180 


462 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

STABLE  Tricks;  crib-biting,  weaving, pining, 

etc 157-159 

STALLION,  Selection  of,  for  breeding  farm 70 

Teaching  him  to  trot 71 

The  best  color  for  a 57 

The  proper  stallion  to  breed  from.    56 
STALLS,  Arrangement  of  equipments........  107 

STIMULANTS  between  heats. 869 

STONY  FOUD,  breeding  farm 825 

STRIPE,  Reasons  for  a  falling  off 411 

"  STRIDES,"  Ad  vantage  of  measuring 405 

STYLE .", 172 

SWEATING,  A ppearance  after, 299 

Between  heats 272 

Change  in  the  appearance  of  the 

sweat 262 

Design  of  the  first  sweats 115 

Difference  of,  between  colts  and 

aged  horses . 291 

Dissertation  on 258 

Effects- on  the  skin 262 

Effects  on  the  blood, 263 

Horses  may  be  too  hot  to  sweat. .  274 

How  to  clothe 296 

How  to  feed  the  night  previous. .  269 

Injury  to  the  loins  from 267 

Ita  effect  on  the  respiratory  organs  259 

Local  effect  of 266 

Mash  previous  to  sweating,  how 

to  make  it 291 

Motion  of  the  lungs  and  heart. . . .  260 
Necessity  for, and  how  to  induce.  278 

Of  Never  Mind,  the  first  one 296 

Preparation  for  and  care    after, 

necessary 117 

Purification  of  the  skin  from 287 

Kace  lost  by  horse  not  sweating,.  275 
Seasons  for  the  system  followed.  300 
Recommendation  of  the  plan 

given 260 

Scraping  and  rubbing  dry.. 297 

The  benefits  of,  on  the  internal 

economy 263 

The  benefits  of,  to  the  muscles. . .  265 

The  proper  clothing  for 115 

Time  for,  repetition  of,  etc 268 

Walk  after  the  sweat 299 

Walkbefore. 295 

With  hot  air ;  Black  Maria's  race  289 
Work  the  day  after 334 

TEETH,  How  to  remedy  their  cutting  the  lips.  173 

TEMPER  A  horse  takes  his  cue  from  the  driver  283 

Importance  of  docility 88 


PAOB 

THEORY  of  breeding.  ...............  ........  896 

THROAT  irritation  taken  for  heaves  ......  ...     19 

TRACKS,  The  narrow  track  an  advantage  in 

training  ...........   ,  ............     79 

Best  form,  undulations,  etc  .........     79 

Proper  soil  for...  ..................    80 

The  disadvantages  of  half  a  mile  ...    79 

TRAINEES,  Benefits  of  a  liberal  education.  ..  219 
Perplexities  of  .................  '..  831 

TRAINING,  Effects  of  bad  weather  ...........  833 

Intention  of,  definition,  etc  .......  183 

Oats,  hominy,  corn  and  beans  in  .  .  254 
Old  method  of.  ..................     91 

Physic  ..........................  223 

Eetrospect  of  first  part  ...........  183 

The  necessity  for  patience  in  .....     42 

Water  in,  soft  and  hard,  etc  .......  371 

TREATMENT  of  the  horses  in  the  first  st;ige  of 
training  ..........  ,  .....  .  .................  137 

TRIALS  ....................................  417 

TROTTER,  How  to  feed  before  *  trial  ........  418 

The  proper  form  for  a  .............  389 

TROTTERS,  Different  blood,  of  what  families.  308- 
Neeessity  for  "  blood"  in  .........    43 

TROTTING,  How  a  horse  moves  his  feet  when 
trotting  ..................................  203 

On  the  ice  ......................  235 

Track  ;  construction  of  .......  163-1  65 


and  arteries  .................  .  .......  203- 

Prominence  of,  in  the  thoroughbred  .  .    2*7 
Superficial,  and  their  uses  ..........  .  .  287 

WALK  before  the  sweat  ................  .....  320 

WALKING  at  the  commencement  of  training.    93 
Can  be  prolonged  too  much.  .....  185 

Effects  of,  change  of  location  ......    92 

Exercise,  time  occupied  in  the  first 
stage.  .........................  .  137 

Importance  of.  ...................     92 

Old  plan  of  walking  horses.  .  ,  ____     91 

Proper   clothing    during    walking 
exercise  ........................    92 

WALLOWING  BED,  advantages  of  ............  295  j 

WATER,  Regulating  the  amount  given  .......  376 

WATERING  after  driving  ............  .  .......  362 

WESTERN  stables  ...........................    51 

WET  bandages,  when  they  should  be  worn  .  .  113  j 
WINTER-QUARTERS  for  a  trotter  ...........  48,  49  ; 

WINTERING,  How  to  winter  a  trotter  ......  48,  491  ] 

WOMEN,  trees  and  horses  ...................  156  j 

WORK,  Importance  of  regularity,  change  of 

location,  etc  .......................  256 

In  the  mud,  how  to  protect  the  horse.  419 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

™ 


BOOK 


OVERDUE. 


DEC~161946 


vr~)      i  /  * 

Yb    i 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


